St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-28

1 anu SCCsAA8 q AAOCCJ eCOuIk0
with which to whip your antagonist,
your enemy, you haa better get up
on the radiant mount where Christ
suffered for His enemies and just
take an olive branch, not stripping
off the soft, cool, fragrant leaves,
leaving them all on, and then try on
them that Gospel switch. It will not
hurt them, and it will save you.
Peace be with God, peace with man.
If you cannot take those two doc
trines, you are no Christian.
Blest be the tie that binds
| Our hearts in Christian love:
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
From sorrow toll and pain
And sin we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.
But this evergreen of my text also
suggests the simple fact that religion
is evergreen. What does the pine
branch care for the snow on it,
brow? 1t is only crown of glory.
The winter cannot freeze it out. This
evergreen tree branch is as beautiful
in winter as it is in the summer.
And that is the characteristic of our
holy religion. In the sharpest, cold
est winter of misfortune and disaster
it is as good religion as it is in
the bright summer sunshine. Well,
now, that is a practical truth. For
suppose if should go up and down
these aisles I would not find in this
house so people who had had no
trouble. But there are some of you
who have especial trouble. God only
knows what you go through with.
Oh, how many bereavements, how
many poverties, how many persecu-
lions, how many misrepresentation
And now, my brother, you have tried
everything else, why do you not try
this evergreen religion? It is just ~
good for you now as it was in the
day of prosperity. It is better for
you. Perhaps some of you feel al
most like Muckle Backie, the fisher
man, who was chided one day be-
cause he kept on working, although
that very day he buried his child.
They came to him and said: "It is
indecent for you to be mending that
boat when this afternoon you buried
your child" And the fisherman looked
up and said: "Sir, it is very easy for
you gentlefolks to stay in the house
with your handkerchief to your eyes
in grief; but, sir, ought to let the
other five children starve because one
of them is drowned? No, sir. We
maun work, we maun work, though
our hearts beat like this hammer"
You may have had accumulation of
sorrow and misfortune. They come in
docks, they come in herds, upon your
soul, and yet have to tell you that
this religion can console you, that it
can help you, that it can deliver you
if nothing else will. Do you tell me
that the riches and the gain of this
world can console you? How was it
with the ecclesiastic who had such .
fondness for money that when he
was sick he ordered q basin of gold
pieces brought to him, and he put his
equity hands down among the gold
pieces, cooling his hands OH in them,
and the rattle and rolling of these
gold pieces were his amusement and
entertainment. All, the gold and Sill
yer, the honors, the emoluments of
this world, are a poor solace for .
perturbed spirit. You want some
thing better than this world can give.
A young prince, when the children
came around to play with him, re-
fused to play. He said: II will play
only with kings" And it would be
supposed that you would throw away
all other solace before this regal sat-
isfaction, this imperial joy.
The hill of Zion yields
thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streets.
City of eternity, to thy bridal halls
From this prison would fee.
All, glory! That's for you and me!
My text brings us one step further.
1t says: go forth into the mount
and fetch olive branches and pine
branches and myrtle branches and
palm branches and branches of thick
trees" Now, you know very we'll
I make this remark under the head
Of branches of thick trees-that q
booth or arbor made of slight
branches would not stand. The first
blast of the tempest would PROSTATE
it. So then the booth or arbor must
have four stout poles to hold up the
arbor or booth, and hence for the
building of the arbor for this world
we must have stout branches of thick
trees. And so it is in the Gospel ar
Dor. Blessed be God that we have a
brawny Christianity, not one easily
upset. The storms of life will come
upon us, and we want strong doc
trine; not only love, but justice: not
only invitation, but warning. 1t is
= mighty Gospel; it is an Omnipotent
Gospel. These are the stout branches
of thick trees.
Well, my friends, you see I have
omitted one or two points not be-
cause 1 forgot to present them, but
because I have not time to present
them. have shown you here is the
olive branch of peace, here is the
pine branch of evergreen Gospel con-
ISOLATION, here the palm tree branch
of usefulness and of victory, and here
~, Il