Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-09-06
Hen1th For mInd and soul.


But my text goes further. 1t says, go
up into the mountain and fetch olive
branches and pine branches" Now, what
is suggested by the pine branch? The
pine tree is healthy, it is aromatic, it is
evergreen. How often the physician says
to his invalid patients: Go and have a
breath of the pines. That will invigorate
you" Why do such thousands of people
90 south every year? It is not merely to
get to a warmer climate, but to get the in
huence Of the pine. There is health in it,
and this pine branch of the text suggests
the helpfuness of our holy religion. 1t
is full Of health--health for all, health
for the mind, health for the soul. l knew
an aged man who had no capital Of phys
ical health He had had all the diseases
you could imagine He did not eat enough
to keep a child alive. He lived on bever-
age Of hosannas He lived high, for he
dined every day with the King. He was
kept alive simply by the force of our holy
religion. 1t is a healthy religiOn-healthy
for the eye, healthy for the hand, healthy
for the feet, healthy for the heart,
healthy for the liver, healthy for the
spleen, healthy for the whole man. 1t
gives a man such peace, such quietness,
such independence of circumstances, such
holy equipoise. Oh. that we all possessed
it. that we possessed it now! ! mean it is
healthy if a man gets enough of it. Now,
there are some people who get just
enough religion TO bother them, just
enough religion to make them sick, but II
a man take a full. deep, round inhalation
Of these pine branches Of the gospel ar
Dor he will find it buoyant, exuberant,
undying. immortal health.
But this evergreen of my text also sug-
gests the simple fact that religion is
evergreen. What does the pine branch
care for the snow on its brow? 1t is
only a crown Of glory The winter can
not freeze it out. This evergreen tree
branch is as beautiful in winter as it is
/ in the summer. And that is the charac-
teristic of our holy religion. In the
sharpcst. coolest winter of misfortune
] and disaster it is as good a religion as it
( is in the bright summer sunshine. Well,
now, that is a practical truth. For sup
! pose If I should go up and down these
aisles ! 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 bereave-
ments, how many poverties, how many
prosecutions, how many misrepresenta-
j tions And now, my brother, you have
tried everything else, why do you not try
this evergreen religion? 1t is just as good
for you now as it was in the day Of
prosperity. It is better for you. Per-
haps some of you feel almost like Muckle
Backie, the fisherman, who was chided
one day because he kept on work ug,
although that very day he buried his
child They came to him and said, at
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 l 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
locks, they come in herds, upon you
soul, and vet | have to tell you that thi!
religion can console you, that it can hell
you. that it can deliver you if nothing
else will. Do you tell me that the riches
ana the guin of this world can console
sou2 How was it with the ecclesiasti
who had such a fondness for money tina
when he was sick he ordered basin o
goldpieces to be brought to him, and h
, put his equity hands down among tn
; goldpieces, cooling his hands off in them
r and the rattle and rolling Of these gold
+ pieces were his amusement and enter
t tainment All, the gold and silver, til
! honors, the emoluments of this WORLD
are poor solace for a perturbed spirit
You want something better than thi
world can give. A young prince, whe
, the children came around to play wit
him, refused to play. He said, Il wi
4 play only with kings" And it woul
= be supposed that you would throw ava
: all other solace before this regal satisfa,
), ton, this imperial joy.