Connecticut western news., 1901-09-05

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 with God; peace with man. If you cannot take those two doctrines, 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 my text goes further. It says, AGo 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 pa tientS, 'Go and have a breath of the pines; that will invigorate you" Why do such thousands of people go south every year? It is not merely to get to warmer climate, but to get the inf1u- ence of the pine. There Is health in it, and this pine branch of the text sug- gests the helpfulness of our holy reli. zion. It is full of health, health for all, health for the mind, health for the soul. I knew an aged man who had no capital of physical health. He had had all the diseases you could imagine. He did not eat enough to keep a child alive; he lived on a beverage of hosan- mas; he lived high, for he dined every day with the King; he was kept alive simply by the force of our holy reli- zion. It is 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. It gives a man such peace, such quiet ness, such independence of circum- stances, such holy equipoise. Oh, that we all possessed 1t; that we possessed 1t now! 1 mean 1t Is healthy If a man gets enough of 1t. Now, there are some people who get just enough religion to bother them, just enoug. religion to make them sick, but If man take full, deep, round inhalation of these pine branches of the gospel arbor he will find 1t buoyant, exuberant, undy- ing, immortal health.
 Religion Is Evergreen. 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 its brow? It is only a crown of glory. The winter cannot freeze 1t 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, coldest winter of mis- fortune and disaster 1t Is as good re- lgion as 1t Is in the bright summer sunshine. Well, now, that Is a prac. tical truth, for I suppose if I would go up and down these aisles I would not find in this house 50 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- tions! How many misrepresentations! And now, my brother, you have tried everything else, why do you not try this evergreen religion? It is just as good for you now as 1t was in the day of prosperity; 1t 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 working although that very day he IN tOI 1xte .hs l. and said, Tt Is indecent for you to be mending that boat when this after noon you buried your child" And the fisherman looked up and said: "Sir, 1t Is very easy for you gentlefolks to stay in the house with your handkerchiefs to your eyes in grief, but, sir, ought to let the other five children starve be- cause one of them Is drowned? No, sir; we Ihaun work, we maun work though our hearts beat like this ham, mer."
 You may have had accumulation of sorrow and misfortune. They come in fiocks, they come in herds upon your soul, and yet I have to tell you that this religion can console you, that 1t can help you, that 1t 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 1t with the ecclesiastic who had such fondness for money that when he was sick he ordered basin of goldpieces to be brought to him, and he put his gouty hands down among the goldpieces, cool Ing his hand off ill them, and the rattle and rolling of these goldpieces were his amusement and entertainment? Ah the gold and silver, the honors, the emoluments of this world are a poor solace for a perturbed spirit! You want something better than this world can give. A young prince, when the chil dren came around to play with him refused to play. He said, T will play only with kings" And 1t would be sup posed that you would throw away all l other solace before this regal satisfac | tion, this imperial joy.
 The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets
 Before reach the heavenly fields I Or walk the golden streets
 All For the Glory of God. But my text takes step further, an( 
 | 1t says, Go into the mountain and fetch | olive branches and pine branches anG | palm branches. Now, the palm tret was very much honored by the an | cients. It had 360 different uses. Int | fruit was conserved, the sap was ( beverage, the stems were ground III for food for camels, the base of thu leaves was turned into hats and mat. and baskets, and the leaves were car ried in victorious processions, and from the root to the top of the highest lea1 there was usefulness. The tree grew S5 feet in height sometimes. and | spread broad leaves four and five fee long. It meant usefulness, and i meant victory-usefulness for what i | produced, victory because 1t wa! brought into celebrations of triumph And, oh, how much we want the palm