The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-18

stems were grOunQ up lor loou lot CAIN
els. the base of the leaves was turned
into hats and mats and baskets, and tn,
leaves were carried in victorious process
sions. and from the root to the top o.
the highest leaf there was usefulness
The tree grew eighty.6ve feet in height
sometimes, and it spread broad leaves four
and FIVE feet long. 1t meant usefulness,
and it meant vctory-usefulness for what
it produced, victory because it wa.
brought into celebrations of triumph.
And, oh, how much we want the palm
branches in the churches of Jesus Christ
at this time! A great many Christians
do not amount to anything. You have
to shove them off the track to let the
Lords chariots come along.
know the old plan was, the plan now
is, in regard to worldly Investments
you hear it. merchants tell you-do not
put everything into one ,o thing. hI g. do IN not
have to tell you in this matter Of re-
ligion you had better give your all to
God and then get in yourself;
70 sell silks and cloths" Well, then,
INV brother. sell silks and y tbs to the
glory of God. And some says, MY
business is to raise corn lid carrots"
Then, my brother. raise corn and carrots
to the glory of God.
And some one says. my business il
to manufacture horseshoe nails" Then
manufacture horseshoe nails to the glory
of God. There is nothing for you to do
that you ought to do but for the glory
of God.
Usefulness is typifed by the palm tree
All, we do not want in the church any
more people that are merely weeping vii;
lows, sighing into the water, standing and
admiring their long lashes in the CLASSY
spring! No wild cherry dropping bitter
fruit. We want palm trees. holding
something for God, something for angels,
something for man. I am tired and sick
of this fat, tame, insipid, satin slippered,
namby pambv. highly tightly religion. It
is worth nothing for this world, and it
is destruction for eternity. Give me 500
men and women fully consecrated to
Christ, and we will take this city for
God in three years; give me 10000 men
and women fully up to the Christian
standard. in ten years 10000 OF them
But when are we going to begin? We
all want to be useful. There is not
man in the pews that does not want tc
be useful. When are we going to be-
gin?
ILSuydTu. Cue BredI Nha
brought before the Geographical Society
of Great Britain, a1d they wanted him
to make some explorations in Africa, and
they showed him all the perils and al.
the hard work and all the exposure, and
after they had told him what they want.
ed him to do in Africa they said to him,
"Now. Ledyard, when are you ready ts
start" He said, Tomorrow morning
The learned men were astonished. They
thought he would take weeks or months
to get ready. Well, now, you tell me
you want to be useful in Christian service.
When are you going to begin? Oh: that
you had the decision to say, Now;
now!" Oh, 60 into the mount and gather
the palm branches!
But the palm branches also mean vic
tory. Well, now, we are by nature the
servants of satan. He stole us; he has
word comes from our Father that if we
will try to break loose from this doing Of
wrong our Father will help US. and some
day we rouse up, and we look the black
tyrant in the face, and we fly at him,
and we wrestle him down, and we put
our heel on his neck, and we grind him
in the dust, and we say, "Vietory, vic.
tory, through our Lord Jesus Christi"
Oh, what a grand thing it is. to have
sin underfoot and wasted life behind
our backs! BLESSED is he whose trans.
gression is forgiven and whose sin is
covered"
Some one says, "How about the fu.
ture?" What, says the man, l feel so
sick and worn out with the ailments Of
life. You are going to be more than
conqueror. But, says the man. l am so
tempted, am 30 pursued in life. You
are going to be more than conqueror. I,
who have so many ailments and heart.
Yes, unless you are so self-conceited that
you want to manage all the affairs OF
your life yourself instead of letting God
manage them. Do you want to drive
and have God take back seat? '"Oh,
no." you say: 81 want God to be my lead
err" Well, then, you will be more than
conqueror. Your last sickness will come,
and the physicians in the next room will
be talking about what they will do for
you. What difference will it make what
they do for you? You are going to be
well. everlastingly we'll. And when the
spirit has fled the body your friends will
you. What difference does it make to
you where they bury you? The angel or
the resurrection can pick you out of the
dust anywhere. and all the cemeteries of
the earth are in Gods care. Oh, you are
going to be more than conqueror!
, Do you not think we had better begin
now to celebrate the coming victory? In
the old meeting house at Somervilie my
father used to lead the singing, and he
had the old fashioned tuning fork, and
he would strike it upon his knee and then
put the tuning fork to his ear to catch
the right pitch and start the hymn: But,
friend, do you not think we had better
be catching the pitch of the everlasting
be more than conquerors? Had we not
better begin the rehearsal on earth?
My text brings us one step further.
1t, says 20 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 well-I make this remark un-
der the head of branches of thick trees
that a 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 arbor.
Blessed be GoQ tnaC we nave OraWny
Christianity. not one easily upset. The
storms of life will come upon us, and
we want strong doctrine; net only love,
but justice: not only invitation, but
warning. 1t is a mighty gospel; it is an
omnipotent gospel. These are the stout
branches of thick trees.
I remer lber what Mr. Finney said in
a schoolhouse. The village was so bad
it was called Sodom, and it was said to
have only one good man in all the village,
and he was called Lot, and Mr.. Fianey
was preaching in the schoo!house. and
he described the destruction of Sodom;
how the city was going to be destroyed
unless thew repented, and that there