The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-03

| had better give your ell to God and then
| get in yourself. Oh. says some one. ssMy
business is to sell silks and cloths" Well,
| then, my brother, sell silks and cloths to
the glory Of God. And some one says.
MY business is to raise corn and car
rots." Then, my brother, raise corn and
| carrots to the glory OF God. And some
| one says, MY business is to anufa
| ture 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 will
| lows, signing into the water, standing and
| admiring their long lashes in the CLASSY
| 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, satin slippered.
| ~nambypamby. hightytighty religionl 1t
| 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 would take
the whole earth for God. But when are
| we going to begin? We all want to be
| useful. There is not a man in the pews
that does not want to be useful. When
are we going to begin?
Ledyard, the great traveller, was
brought before the Geographical Society
Of Great Britain, and they wanted him to
make some explorations in Africa, and
they showed him all the perils, and all
II 49, ho-1 49, aal II
after they had told him what they wanted
him to do in Africa they said to him,
| Now, Ledyard, when are you ready to
| 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, go into the mount and gather the
palm branches.
! The Victory Over Satan.
But the palm branch also meant victo-
~. You all know hat. In all ages, in all
lands. the palm branch means victory.
Well. now. v" are by nature the servants
OF satan. r. stole us, he has his eye on
US, be wants - keep US. But word comes
from DER Father that il 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
liz the face. and we fly at him, and we
wros:.C 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 Christ" Oh what q grand
thing it is To have sin under foot and a
wasted life behind our backs. BLESSED
is he whose transgression is forgiven and
whose sin is covered"
Some one says, How about the fu-
tureF" What, says the man, 1 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, 1
am so pursued in life. You are going to
be more than conqueror. I, who have so
many ailments and heartaches, going to
be more than conqueror? Yes, unless you
are SO self conceited that you want to
manage all the affairs Of your life your
self instead of letting God manage them.
Dc you want to drive and have God take
a back seat? ooh no." you say, 81 want
God to be my leader" 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 well.
And when the spirit has fed the body,
your friends will be talking as to where
they shall bury you. What difference does
| II make to you where they bury you? 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 con-
| queror.
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 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 song,
the song Of victory when we shall be more
| than conquerors? Had we not better be-
gin the rehearsal on earth? 'They shall
hunger NJ 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 wa
| tiers; and God shall wipe away all tears
| from their eyes"
City Of eternity, to thy bridal halls
| From this prison would / fee.
Ah, glory! That's for you and me!
Finishing the Arbor.
MY text brings us one step further. It
says, 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 WE'LL make this remark under 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 ar
Dor. Blessed be God that we have a
brawny Christianity, not one easily upset.
The storms Of life will come upon us, and
we want strong doctrine; not only love,
but justice; not only invitation, but warn