Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-09-07


he Is ready to take the first step" You
are pretty Christian. When would
this world be saved II Christ had not
taken the first step? We were In the
wrong; Christ was In the right, all
right and forever right, and yet he
took the first step. And Instead OF 60
ing and getting n knotty scourge Win
which to whip your antagonist, your
enemy, you had 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 oil on,
and then try on them that gospei
switch. 1t will not hurt them, ana IL
will save you. Peace with God; peace
with man. II 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 IoFe anu hie"u"'P 'N-o
Through all eternity
Rut nv text goes further. 1t says,
"Go up into the mountain and fetch
olive branches and pine branches.
Now, what is suggested by the pine
branchf The pine tree is healthy; 1t 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 wear? 1t Is not merely to get 10
a warmer climate. but to get the lnnu-
ence of the pine. There Is health In
II and this pine branch Of the text suS-
eests the helpfulness OF our holy rell-
zion. 1t Is full Of health. health for
all health for the mind. health for the
soul. | knew an aged man VINO hau
no capital OF physical health. He had
had all the diseases you could imagine
He did not eat enough TO keep chlld
alive: he lived on beverage OF h0sah-
mas: he lived high. for be dined every
day with the King; he was kept awe
simply by the force OF our holy rell'
eion. 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 Tor
the spleen. healthy for the whole man.
It gives a man such peace. such quiet
ness. such independence of cireum-
stances. such holy equpols~- Oh, thar
we all possessed II; that we possessed
II now! mean II Is healthy II man
gets enough of it. Now. there are some
neople who get just enough religion to
bother them. just enoug. religion TO
make them sick, but II a man take .
full deep. round inhalation of these
: nine branches of the gospel aFber.ne
will find it buoyant, exuberant, undy'
ing. immortal health.
RELIGION Is Evergreen.
Rut this evergreen of my text also
suggests the simple fact that religion Is
evergreen. What does the pine brancf
care for the snow on its browF II Il
: only a crown OF glory. The winter
cannot freeze 1t out This evergreen
tree branch Is as beautiful In wlnte'
ne II Is in the summer And that Is TN
characteristic OF our holy religion; IL
the sharpest. oldest winter or mis-
fortune and disa. It is as GOOD re
ligion as It ls ne Drignt sunine
sunshine. Well. now. that is prac
tical truth. for suppose II woul'
% m and down these aisles woul'
not find In this house 30 people wh
: had had no trouble. but there are som
> Of YOU who have especial trouble. CO.
: only knows what you go through WITH
! Oh how many bereavements- nov
t many poverties. how many persecu
= tions, How many Misrepresentation
And now. my brother. you have trie
I everything else. why do you not tr
Y this evergreen religionl 1t Is just a
!. good for you now as II was In the da
s of prosperity: it Is better for you. Pel
d hans some of you feel almost lik
|. Muckle Backle. the fisherman. wh
n was chided one day because he keT
q on working although that very day b
o buried his child. They came TO bill
l. and said. ut is indecent for you to .
!. mendlng that boat when this afte
a noon you buried your child" And IN
fisherman looked up and said: Sir,
n is very easy for you gentlefolks to sta
8 In the house with your handkerchief
?. to your eyes In grief, but sir. ought
e to let the other five children starve b
Y cause one of them is drowned? \
;s sir; we maun work, we maun wor
t: though our hearts beat like this ban
e. mer."
a You may have had accumulation
10 sorrow and misfortune. They come
ts flocks. they come in herds upon yo'
D. soul. and yet have to tell you tn
r. this religion can console you, that
,e can help you, that 1t can deliver you
\. nothing else will. Do you tell me tn
st the riches and the gain Of this wor
,e can console you? How was 1t with Il
" ecclesiastic who had such a fondne
10 for money that when he was sick
re ordered basin of goldpieces to
I'd brought to him, and he put his gou
,e hands down among the goldpleces, COZ
ID ing his hand off in them. and the ratt
We and rolling of these goldpieces we
IN his amusement and entertainment a
re the gold and silver, the honors, {
ne emoluments of this world are po
IS solace for perturbed spirit! You wa
ct something better than this world G.
I'd give. A young prince, when the en-
We dren came around to play with III
% refused to play. He said, Il VIII pi
only with kings" And 1t would De ST
ce posed that you would throw away
ut other solace before this regal satisf'
ng ton, this imperial JOY.
he Tho hill OF Zion yields
he A thousand sacred sweets
tu- Before we reach the heavenly seids
100 Or walk ths solca sireen
Nv. All For the Stess II God.
of But my text takes step further, =
We n saws. Go into the mountain and rel