Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-09-06

are you ready to start3" He said. "To-
morrow morning" The learned men
We're astonished. They thought he
ready. Well. now, you tell me YOU
want to be useful I'm Christian service.
When are you going 10 begin? oh,
that you had the decision to say, "Now;
nowp oh. so into the mount and
gather the palm branchesl
An Embien, OF Victory.
But the palm branches also meant
victory. You all know that. In all
ages. In all lands. the palm branch
means victory. Well. now, we are by
nature the servants OF satan. He stole
US; he has his eye on us: he wants to
keep u.s. But word comes from our
Father that II we will try TO break
loose from this doing of wrong our Fa-
Their Will help us. and some day we
rouse up. and we look the black tyrant
In the face. and we fly ut him, and we
wrestle him down. and we put our heel
on his neck, and we grind him In the
dust. and we say. Victory, victory,
through our Lord Jesus Christi oh,
what a grand thing II is to have sin
| baeksi blessed Is he whose trans
gression is forgiven aud whose sin Is
covered"
Some one says, "How about the fu-
ture:" What, says the man, I feel
so sick and worn out with the ailments
of life. You are going to be more
than conqueror. But. says the man,
1 am SO tempted, l am so pursued In
life. You are going TO be more than
conqueror. l, who have so many all
ments and heartaches, going to be more
than eonqueror? Yes, unless you are
so self conceited that you want to man.
age all the affairs Of your life yourself
instead of letting God manage them.
Do you want 20 drive and have God
take back seat? "Oh, no." you say;
Il want God to be my leader" Well,
then, you will be more than conqueror.
Your last sickness Will come, and the
physicians 10 the next room will be
talking about what they will do for
you. What difference will II make
what they do for you? You are going
to be well, everlastingly WELL And
when the spirit has fed the body your
friends will be talking as to where
they shall bury you. What difference
does 1t make to you where they bury
Sou2 The angel of 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 conquerorl
Do you not think we had better be-
gin now to celebrate the coming yicto- |
ry? In the old meeting house at SOM
20
ing. and he had the old fashioned tun-
ing fork, and he would strike it upon |
bis 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 song, the |
song OF victory. when we shall be more
than coRquerors? Had we not better
begin the rehearsal on earth? "They |
shall hunger no more, neither thirst
any more; neither shall the sun light
on them nor any heat, for the Lamb
which Is In the midst OF the throne
shall feed them and shall lead them to
living fountains OF waters, and God
shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes"
City OF eternity. to thy bridal halls
From this prison would Gee.
All. gloryi Thsss for you and mel
Drnwny Christia nifty.
My text brings us one step further.
1t say 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 well-I
make this remark under the head of
branches OF thick trees-that n booth
or arbor made OF slight branches would
not stand. The first blast of the tenn
pest would PROSTATE IL. So, then, the
booth or arbor must have four stout
poles 10 hold up the arbor or booth.
ana hence for the building OF the arbor
for this world we must have stout
branches OF thick trees. And so IL is
In the gospel arbor. Blessed be God
that we have brawny Christianity.
not one easily upset. The storms of
NE VIII come upon us, and we want
strong doctrine: not only love, but
Justice; not only Invitation. but warn
ING. 1t Is a mighty gospel; 1t is an
omnlpotent gospel These are the
stout branches OF thick trees.
1 remember what Mr.. Finney said I'm
n schoolhouse. The village was so bad
V was called Sodom,-and IL was said
20 nave only one good man In all the
Nuiage' and he was called Lot, and Mr..
rlnney was preaching In the school
house, and he described the destruction
or Sodom; how the city was going TO
We destroyed unless they repented. and
that there would be rain from heaven ,
OF sorrow and destruction unless they. ,
'oo' repented- And the people in the
schoolhouse sat and ground their teeth
In anger, and clinched their fists I'm
anger, but before he got through with
his sermon they got down on their ,
knees and cried for mercy while mercy
could be found. oh, IL is n mighty ,
gospel: not only an invitation, but a
warning, an omnipotent truth; stout .
branches OF thick trees. :
wen, my friends, you see I have
omitted one or two points. not because
forgot to present them, but because ,
nave not time to present them. !
nave shown you here is the olive :
branch OF peace, here is the pine branch !
,r evergreen gospel consolation. here ,
he palm tree branch of usefulness and :
'f victory and here are the stout !
OF thick trees. The cosneIl !
irDor Is done. The air is aromatic of
heaven The leaves rustic with the
badness of God. Come-m the arbor.
come into the booth. 1 went out at r
Inherent times with n fowler to the i
Mountains to catch pigeons, and we q
nade our booth and we sat in that 4
'ooth and watched for the pigeons to q
'oine. ana we found fiocks in the sky, q
md after awhile they dropped into the o
let and we We're successful. So ri !
'ome now to the door of this gospel +
'ooth. l look out ] see fiocks OF souls
lying hither and flying thither. Oh,
nat they might come like clouds and
: doves to the window! Come into q
ne booth. Come into the booth. v
IConxrIcht noon LII -. =. 4