The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-03-18

bitter and they could not drink them
their leader cut OF the branch Of \
certain tree aud threw that branch
into the water. and IL became sweet and
slaked the thirst Of the suffering host2
Are We with a branch Of the tree OF
life sweetening all the brakish foun.
tains that we can toueh2
Dear Lord. send US all out on this
mission. All around Us imbittered lives
--imbittered by persecution, imbit-
tered by hypereritieism. imbittered By
poverty. imbltlered by pain. imbittsred
by injustice. imbittered by sin. Why
not 60 forth and sweetsn them by
smiles, by inspiring words, by benefac-
tons. by hearty counsel. by prayer.
BY gospelized behavior Let us re-
member that II we are NORWOOD 10
others we are NORWOOD 10 ourselves.
and u life win be hitter and our eter-
nifty hltterer. The Gospel Of jesus
Christ is the only Fweetening power
that is sufficient. II sweetens the dis
position; IL sweetens the manners; Il
Sweetens life; It Sweetens mysterious
proyidenees; IL sweetens affections;
Il sweetens death; It sweetens every
thing. have heard people asked in
social company; IF you could have
three wishes grAtihed, what would your
three wishes beg" II 1 could have
three wishes met, I tell you what they
would be. First. more OF the grace
OF God; second. more Of the grace Of
God; third, more Of the grace Of God.
In the doorway of my brother John.
once a missionarytoA Annoy China, there
vas a tree called the emperor tree, the
two eharaeteristics Of which are thatit
always grows higher than its sur
rouDdings and its leaves take the form
Of . crown. II this emperor tree be
planted beside q rosebush, 1t grows 4
little higher than the bush and spreads
out above it : crown. II it be planted
by the side of another tree, 1t grows
little higher than that tree and spreads
above II = crown Would God that this
religion Of Christ, q more wonderful
emperor tree. might o~vsrshadow all
your livesl Are you lowly in anbi-
ton or circumstance, putting over you
its CROWN Are you high in talent and
position, putting over you its crown?
Oh, for more Of the saceharin In our
lives and less Of the NORWOOD!
What is true of individuals is true OF
nations. God sets them up to revolve
as stars, but they may fall wormwood.
Tyre-the atmosphere Of the desert,
fragrant with spices coming in cara
vans to her fairs; all seas cleft into
foam by the keels Of her laden mer-
chantmen; her markets rich with
horses and camels from ~Togarmah;
the bazaar filed with upholstery from
Dedan, with emerald and coral and
agate from Syria, with mines from
Helbon, with embroidered work from
Ashur and Chilmad. Where now the
CLEAN Of her towers2 Where the roar
OF her chariots2 Where the masts Of
her ships? Let the fishermen who dry
their nets where once she stood, let the
sea that PUSHES upon the barrenness
where ono she challenged the admira-
tion OF all nations, let the barbarians
who set their rude tents where once
her palaces glittered, answer the ques-
tons. She was a star, but by her own
sin turned 10 NORWOOD, and has
fallen.
Hundred gated Thebes, for all time
to be the study Of the antiquarian and
hieroglyphist; her stupendous ruins
spread over 81 miles; her sculptures
presenting In figures Of warrior and
chariot the victories with which the
now-forgotten kings OF Egypt shook
the nations; her obelisks and columns;
karnak and Luxor, the s~tupendous
temples Of her pride. Who can imagine
the greatness Of Thebes In those DAYS,
when the hippodrome rang with her
sports and foreign royalty bowed at
her shrines and her avenues roared
with the wheels Of professions in the
wake OF returning eonquerors? What
dashed down the vision Of chariots and
temples and thrones? What hands
pulled upon the columns Of her glory?I
What ruthlessness defaeed her sculp.
tured wall and broke obelisks, and left
her indescribable temples great skele.
tons Of granite? What spirit of de.
~struetion spread the lair Of wild beasts
in her royal sepulchers and taught the
miserable eottagen Of to-day TO buird
huts in the courts of her temples and
sent desolation and ruin xkulLinR be-
hind the obelis&s and lodging among
the sacophagi, and leaning against
the columns, and STOPPING under the
arches, and weeping in the waters
which go ~mournfully by, as though
they were carrying the tears OF ali
agesP Let the mummies break their
long silence and come up to SILVER in
the desolation and point to fallen
gates and shattered statues and de-
faced sculpture, responding: "Thebe,
built not one temple 10 God. Thebes
hated righteousness and loved sin.
Thebes was q star. but she turned to
NORWOOD and has fallen"