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

Nv NOAG uulA liz ID Cav " laaC 49, AAS
step!' You are a pretty Christian.
When would this world be saved if Christ
had not taken the first step? We were
in the wrong. Christ was in the right, all
right n forever right. And yet he took
the first step. And instead Of going and
getting a knotty scourge with 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 al olive branch, not stripping
of the soft, cool, fragrant leaves, leav-
ing them all on, and then try on them
that gospel switch. 1t 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.
Health For Mind and Soul.
But my text goes further. 1t says, go
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 patients: go and have a
breath Of the pines. That will invigorate
you" Why do such thousands of people
go south every year? 1t is not merely to
| get to a warmer climate, but to get the in
fluence of the pine. There is health in it,
and this pine branch of the text suggests
the helpfulness of our holy religion. 1t
is full of h~ealth-health for all, health
for the mind, health for the soul. l knew
an aged man who had no capital Of phys
ical health. He had had all the diseases
| YOU could imagine. He did not eat enough
to keep a child alive. He lived on q bever-
age of hosannas. He lived high, for he
dined every day with the King. He was
kept alive simply by the force of our holy
religion. 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 for the
spleen, healthy for the whole man. 1t
gives q man such peace, such ~Quietness,
| such independence Of circumstances, such
holy equipoise. Oh, that we all possessed
it, thai we possessed it now! I mean it is
healthy if a man gets enough of it. Now,
there are some people who get just
enough religion to bother them, just
enough religion to make them sick, but if
a man take a full, deep, round inhalation
Of these pine branches of the gospel ar
Dor he will find it buoyant, exuberant,
undying, immortal health.
But this evergreen of my text also sug-
gests the simple fact that religion is
evergreen. What does the pine branch
care for the snow on it's brow? 1t is
only q crown of glory. The winter can
not freeze it out. This evergreen tree
branch is as beautiful in winter as it is
in the summer. And that is the charac-
~teristic of our holy religion. In the
'sharpest, coolest winter of misfortune
and disaster it is as good a religion as 1t
is in the bright summer sunshine. Well,
now, that is q practical truth. For sup
pose if / should go up and down these
aisles I would not find in this house so
people who had had no trouble. But
there are some of vol who have especial
trouble. God only knows what you go
through with. Oh, how many bereave-
ments, how many poyerties, how many
prosecutions, how many misrepresenta-
lions! And now, my brother, you have
tried everything else, why do you not try
this evergreen religion? 1t is just as good
for you now as it 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 cbided
one day because he kept on working,
although that very day he buried his
child. They came to him and said, cit
is indecent for you to be mending that
boat when this afternoon you buried
your child" And the fisherman looked
up and said: "Sir, it is very easy for
1 n DanfIofo1yc 70 cfov IN tho hoy,Sa
| with your handkerchief to your eyes in
| grief; but, sir, ought I to let the other
five children starve because one Of them
is drowned? No, sir. We maun work,
| we maun work, though our hearts beat
like this hammer"
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 it can help
! you, that it can deliver you If nothing
| else will. Dc you tell me that the riches
| and the gain Of this world can console
| you? How was it with the ecclesiastic
! who had such a fondness for money that
| when he was sick he ordered a basin Of
! goldpieces to be brought to him, and he
| put his equity hands down among the
| goldpieces, cooling his hands off in them,
| n the rattle and rolling Of these gold
| pieces were his amusement and enter
tainment. All, the gold and silver. the
| honors, the emoluments Of this world,
are q poor solace for a perturbed spirit.
You want something better han this
world can give. \ young prince. when
the children came around to play with
him. refused to play. He said. 81 viii!
play only with kings" And it would
be supposed hat you wo3!l throw away
ali other S,lace before this regal sati>:ac-
ton. this imperial joy.
Tie ~; of Zion yia:1s
\ thousand sacrct sweets
Before we reach the !~avyaly tS!Hs
Or walk the golden streets.
The Significance of the Palm.
But my text takes q step further. and