Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-06-28

Lake, Tor instance. the passage found
in Matt. 5:I4: Love your enemies"
Now someone will say: Il can forgive,
but never can forget Well, then,
Fou are not straight. Another will say:
II can forgive and forget, but l can
but can never love them" Well,
then, you are not straight Love your
enemies" Someone says: 1T does
not mean that A minister, while
preaching. quoted the verse: Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart etc, and then said: ut
does not mean that, for no man can do
that; but it means we are to try and
do it." How would that brother like
to put ''try" before all the other COM
mandments? Would he be willing
next Sunday to get up before his peo-
pie and say the Bible says: Thou
shalt not kill" but Of course it does
not mean that, for no man can live
without killing; but it means you are
to try and not kill. The Bible means
what it says, or else it does not mean
anything.
". The palm tree is an evergreen.
'It grows slowly but steadily, unin-
1uenced by those alterations of the
seasons which affect other trees" 1t
does not rejoice overmuch in winter S
copious rains, neither does it droop
under the drought and burning sun OF
summer, nor can the importunate
urgency Of the winds sway it aside
from perfect uprightness.
Someone has said there are four
classes of Christians: 1st. The sleepy
Christian, who wakes up to everything
when it is too late. I'd. The fair
weather Christian, who serves the
Lord when the sun shines. Sd. The
grasshopper Christian. who takes a
leap every revival. 4th. The palm
tree Christian, whose path is as the
shining light. which shineth more and
| more unto the perfect day. One OF
| the great troubles in the Christian
Church of to-day is that there are toe
many grasshopper Christians who are
greatly warmed up in a revival meet.
| ing, but after the meeting is over be-
| come cold and Indifferent. The palm
tree Christian must set his face like
J Il flint" for he processes to be follow
ing Christ and doing as Christ would
do under every circumstance, and
while it is true that everything
| changes. he must never change from
:he highway" to the "broadway.'
When he is plowing and the plow.point
strikes a stone. he is Christian
When the cow gives pail of milk and
then kicks it over. he is a Christian
When he is putting up stovepipes il
the fall, he is Christian. When they
! are taking up the missionary cOllec
ton, he is Christian. In all places
at all times without single holiday
not even election day., under all cir
cumstances, and at all costs, he is :
Christian.
V. From antiquity the palm tree la
been regarded as the choicest Of frui
trees. 1t has been known to produc,
800 pounds OF dates in year. ut
fruit is abundant, pleasant, medlcina
and exhilarating;;" ''those who onl!
know the cate from the dried specimen
shown beneath labelin shop windows
can hardly imagine how delicious the,
are when eaten fresh ,Pliny says
when they come from the trees the,
greedily." 1t is staple article Of com
merce, and a Moslem tradition says
They are the chief OF all the fruit
of the world"
If the life Of the palm tree Christian
| lCStAAC0 " Tic AA%S lAot A0 III SdyEe
and sanctified, and that there is notf
ing more transient about it, he wi
mot only have the fruits of the Spiri
but shall teach transgressors the way
of the Lord, and sinners shall be COZ
verted. During the last few days
have read so much about the palr
tree that I have a perfect hunger fc
dates, and it seems as though 1 cannt
wait until go to town and get some.
The palm tree Christian has hunge
for souls. Moses said: "If Thou wi
not forgive their sin, blot me, pra
Thee, out Of Thy book" Paul sait
HE could wish himself accursed frol
Christ for his brethren" John Kno
said: "Oh God. give me Scotland, {
die" Is there any fruit so delIcior
to our souls as leading others /
Christ? Oh, brother, sister, ''Lift u
; your eyes and look on the fields, Il
!. they are white already unto harvest
Begin to-day and gather this fruit un
life eternal