The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-09-13
ana wayo thom before tho throne.
Peace through our Lord Jesus

out ColHo inVo tuo warm, lnCliuute,
glowing and everlasting relationship
with the God Of tho whole universal
That is tho Joy that makes q hnl-
lcluiah seem stupid. Why do we want
to have peace through our Lord Jesus
Christ? Why, If we had gono on in
10000 years Of war against God we
could not have captured so much as
q sword or q cavalry stirrup or
twisted Off one Of the wheels Of the
chariot Of his omnipotence. But tho
moment we bring this olive branch
God and oil Heaven como on our side.
Peace through our Lord Jesus Christ,
and no other kind Of peace is worth
anything.
But my text takes step further,
md 1t Says, Go into tho mountain
and fetch olivo branches and pine
branches and palm branches. Now, tho
palm tree was very much honored
by the ancients. It had 500 different
uses. Tho fruit was conserved, tho
sap was beverage, the stems wero
ground up for food for camcls. The
base Of the leaves was turned into
hats and mats and baskets. and from
the root to tho top of the highest
leaf there was usefulness. Tho tree
grew S5 feet in height sometimes,
md it spread leaves four and FIVE feet
long. 1t meant usefulness, and it
meant vctory-usefulnes for what
1t produced and victory because it
was brought into lcbrations. OF
triumph. And oh, how much we want
the palm branches In the churches
Of Jesus Christ at this timol A
great many Christians do not amount
to anything. You havo to shove
them Off the trao.. to let tho Lords
chariots como along.
I know the old plan was, the plan
now is, in regard to worldly invest
mcnts-you hear It, merchants tell
you-do not put everything into ono
thing, do not put.all your eggs into
ono basket. But have to tell you
in this matter of religion you had
better give your all to God and then
get in yourself. Oh, says somo ono.
"Ary business is to sell silks and
cloths" Well, then, my brother, sell
silks and cloths to the glory Of God.
And some ono says, "My business is
TO raise corn and carrots" Then,
aJ brother, 7aiss corn ani carrots TO
the glory Of God And son1o ono
says. "My business is to manufacture
horseshoe nails" Then manufacture
horseshoe nails to tho glory Of God
There is nothing for you to do that
you ought to do but for the glory Of
God.
Usefulness IS sypifed by tho palm
tree.. All, we do not want in tho
church any moro people that ere
merely weeping willows, Mghing into
the water, standing and admlring
their long lashes in the glassy spring.
No wild cherry, dropping bitter fruit
We want palm trees, holding some
thing for God, something for angels,
something for man. am tired and
sick Of this fat, tame, insipid, aatin
slippered, nambypan1hy, hightytighty
religionl 1t Is worth nothing for this
world, and it Is destruction for cter-
nifty. Give me 600 men and women
fully consecrated to Christ, and wo
will take this city for God in three
years. Give mo 10000 men and
women fully up to the Christian
standard. In ten years 10000 of
them would take tho whole earth for
God. But when are we going to be-
E GIN 4. Weall want to be useful. There
81 not % man In tho peWs that does
mot want to- bo useful. When arc
We going to begin?
But tho palm branch also meant
victory. You oil know that. In oil
ages, In all lands, the palm branch
means victory. Well, now, we are by
nature the servants Of satan. Ho
stole us, he has his eye on us, he
wants to keep us. But word comes
from our Father that if we will try
to break loose from this doing Of
wrong our Father will help us, and
we look the black tyrant in the face,
and we fly ct him, and we wrestlo
him down, and we put our heel on
his neck, and we grind him in the
aust, and we sey, Victory, victory,
through our Lord Jesus Christi" Oh
what grand thing 1t is to have sin
under our foot and o wasted life be-
hind our backs. "Blessed Is he whose
transgression is forgiven and whose
sin IS covered"
Do you not think we had better
begin now to celebrate the coming
victory? In the old meeting house
at Somerville my father. used to lead
tho singing, and he had the old fash
toned tuning fork, and he would
strike 1t upon aiI kneo, and then
put tho tuning fork to his ear to
catch the right pitch and start tho
hymn. But, friends, do you not think
we had better be catching tho pitch
Of tho everlasting song, the song Of
victory, when we shall be more than
conquerors2 Had we not better be.
gin tho rehearsal on earth2 "rhey
shall hunger no more, neither thirst
any moro; neither shall the sun
light on them, nor any heat. For the
Lamb which Is in the mist Of the
throne shall feed thom and shall lead
them to living fountains OF waters,
and God shall wipe away oil tears
from their eyes"
| But then we must have that other
olive branch, peace with man. Now,
it is very easy to get up q quarrel.
There are gunpowdery Christians all
around us, and one match Of provoca-
ton will set them off. It Is easy
enough to got up quarrel. But, my
brother, do you not think you had
potter hayo your horns sawed or?
Had not you better mako an apol-
ogy? Had not you better submit to
o little humiliation? "Oh," you say,
"until that man takes the first step
will never be at peace with him.
Nothing will be done until he IN ready
20 take the first stcpl" You are q
pretty Christian. When would this
world be saved IL Christ had not