Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-11-19


strong drinks He wants the permis-
sious Of profigste life The one men,
bership, the one bad habit, the one ca
rousal, robs him Of all the possibilities
and innocent enjoyments and noble IN
spirations Of lifetime. BY one mouth
ful Of forbidden fruit he loses a whole
orchard of fruit unforbidden.
You see what an expensive thing is
sin. Il costs 1000 times more than 1t
is worth. AS some Of all kinds Of quad
rupeds and all kinds Of winged crea-
lures passed before our progenitor that
he might announce name, from eagle
TO bat, and from lion to mole, 80 l sup
pose there were in paradise specimens
Of every kind Of fruit tree And IN that
enormous orchard there was not only
enough for the original family OF two,
but enough fruit fell ripe TO the ground
and was never picked up TO supply
whole towns and villages If they had
existed. But the infatuated couple turn
ed away from all these other trees and
faced this tree. and fruit OF that they
will have though it cost them all para
disc.
This story Of Eden is rejected by
some as an imprpbability If not an i'm
possibility. but nothing on earth is east
er for me 10 believe than the truth OF
this Edeuic story. for | have seen the
same thing in this year Of our Lord
1897 | could call them by name, If it
were polite and righteous 10 do so, the
men who have sacrificed paradise on
earth and a paradise III heaven for one
sin Their house went Their library
went Their good name went Their
field of usefulness went. Their health
went Their immortal soul went My
friends. there is Just one sin that will
turn you out of paradise il you do not
Quit it. You know what it Is. and
God knows, and you had better drop
the hand and arm lifted toward that
bending bough before you pluck your
own ruin. When Adam stood on tlptoe
and took in his right hand that one
round peach or apricot or apple. satan
reached up and pulled down the round
beautiful world Of our present residence.
Ovsrworked artist. overwrought mer
chant. ambitious politician, ayariciou:
specuhtor. better take that warning
from Adams orchard and stop before
you put out for that one thing more
solOmon's Orchard.
But turn from Adams orchard t
Solomon 9, orchard With his own hanC
he writes, Il made me gardens and or
chards " Not depending on the natura
fall Of rain, he irrigated those orchards
Pieces Of the aqueduct that waterec
those gardens have seen, and the reser
yoirs are as perfect as when thousands
of wears ago the mason 8 trowel smooth
ed the mortar over their gray surfaces
No orchard Of olden or modern time
probably ever had its thirst so wei
slaked. The largest Of these reservoirs
is 6e2 feet long 207 feet wide and 81
feet deep. These reservoirs Solomon re
fers 30 when he says, IL made me pool
Of water. to water Herewith the WOO
that bringeth forth trees Solomon
used 10 ride out to that orchard befor'
breakfast. 1t gave him an appetite ant
something TO think about all the day
Josephus, the historian, represents hin
as going out early in the morning from
Jerusalem to the famed rocks Of Etam
a fertile region. delightful with para
discs aud running springs Thither tn
ring. in robes Of white, rode IN hl
chariot, escorted by troop OF mounte'
archrs chosen for their youth and stat
ure and clad in Tyrian purple, who's
long hair, powdered with gold dust
sparHed in the sun" After Solomo
had taken his morning ride in thes
luxuriant orchards he would sit dow
and write those wonderful things i
the Bible, drawing his illustration
from the fruits be had that very morn
) ing plucked or ridden under Anc
: wishing to praise the coming Christ d
says. "As the apple tree among IN
= trees Of the wood, so is my beloved.
And wishing to describe the love OF tn
church for her Lord he writes Con
fort me with apples. for am SICK
, love-" and desiring 10 make referenC
= to the white hair Of the octogenarlaI
. and lust before having noticed that II
. blossoms OF the almond tree were Whit
= y he says Of the aged man. The aImon
tree shall flourish +" The walnuts AL
= = the pomegranates and the mandrak'
u and the figs make Solomon writings
: diyinely arranged fruit basket
- The Luxury OF Religion.
- What mean Solomon orchards an
a Solomon 5 gardens. for they seem
~ mipgle. the two into one, flowers und
- foot and pomegranates over head:
:. me they suggest that religion is a iu
:. ury. All along the world has looked u
10 ON religion chiefly as dire necessity
10 a lifeboat from the shipwreck. ladd
!, from the connagration. soft landiI
= nlace after we have been showed on q
;. precipice Of this planet AS cons
!, ouencs so many have said. we WI
10 await preparation for the future unl
the crash OF the shipwreck, until G
~. confiagration is in full blaze. until
40 reach the brink OF the precipice. 1
Il. doubt religion is inexpressibly impc
ha tant for the last exigency But what
,ls the apples. and the figs, and the melon
ad and the pomegranates. and the citro
or and the olives Of Solomon s orcha
,ra mean? Luxury They mean that our
N licion is the luscious. the aromatic {
ev pungent, the arborescent the efior'
~. cent, the foliaged. the umorageo'
,ss They mean what Edward Payson inca
80 when be declared. III my happin'
n, continues to increase, | cannot Supp
n. it much longer" 1t means what ba
n. Padmanji a Hindoo convert inca
,p when he said, ~ leng for my bed
res that may sleep-I lie awake often
I'm long-but to hold communion with
,re God" IL means what the old colo
"; man said when be was accosted by
ac- colporteur, "Uncle Jack. how are yo'
I've II is very painful in my knee b
si- thank my heavenly Master, I'm ca
nd TO be thankful. Ny good Master J
I've ,;h mo nuf 10 make me humble