Select fruits from the highlands of Beulah

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Contents

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foeewobd 5

Introduction 9

Introduction

While musing o'er the sacred Truth

Which God in mercy spoke; Down in the chamber of my heart

These scatt'ring thoughts awoke.

While strolling 'long the sea of grace

One evening all alone, I stopped and seized with great delight

This little pebble-stone.

While scaling Canaan's sacred hill,

'Mid flow'rs of ev'ry hue, I stoop'd with heart aglow with love

To pluck this bud for you.

While roving 'mong its vernal trees

With awe and wonder mute, I picked from just a single bough

This tiny bit of fruit.

— The Author

CHAPTER I. ^^GOD WITH US^^ Matt. 1 : 23

Our purpose in this little message is to introduce our reader more fully to God. One of the three great mistakes made by modern Christians is, they have too small a conception of the God they serve. They are so accustomed to small , Umitable things, until it is quite difficult to get them to form any reasonable conception of the great God.

Let us notice some of the titles He has introduced Himself to us by.

1. ^'JehovaW (the self -existing God). "Shaddai^' (the Almighty). ^^ Alpha and Omega" (the beginning and the end). "/ Am that I Am" (all you need, an unfilled check, an exhaustless supply.)

2. The next great mistake we make is, we look at circumstances before we look at God. Hence the dire circumstances sometimes so fill the horizon of our spiritual vision, until we fail to see God at all. For instance, if we are sick, we look at the disease rather than the Great Physician. We fail to remember that God is just as able to heal a cancer or a tumor as He is the headache. If David should have looked at circumstances, when he went to meet Goliath, he would have surely failed. But he kept look-

u ing at the Great God until the Giant was transformed into a grasshopper (so to speak).

Should the Hebrew boys have looked at circumstances they would have failed to get the fireproof experience, and to have seen the glorious form of the ^on of God. Should Daniel have looked at circumstances he would not have triumphed over the lion's den and stood forth to all succeeding generations as a monument of courage. These men looked beyond the sword, the angry lions and leaping flames, and saw angels, chariots and horses of fire.

Praise God!

Our third mistake is, we see God as a far-off God. We allow too much space to come between us and Him. We pray as if He was billions of miles away. But He has said, ''Lo, I am with you alway," "I will never leave thee," "I will dwell in them." Oh, what a reproof to our unbelief !

We hear people sometimes make the following remarks : "Oh, the Lord was wonderfully with me to-day! Oh, I felt Him so near!" At other times we have heard them say (though equally as clean and holy) : "The Lord was not with me to-day, for I have not felt any special uplift all day." They fail to realize that God is to be served by faith and not by feelings. Of course, if we serve Him properly, the feelings will come. However, feeling is not to be made our criterion.

Let us notice a few ways God is to be appropriated.

1. He is to be trusted and relied upon, as we would a visible friend. Suppose you had a note due, and were short of the finance to meet it, you would

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no doubt go to your best friend and explain circumstances and ask for a loan of the needed amount. And if he should tell you to come on the day it was due and get the money, what a relief it would bring to you ! O, how you would dismiss every atom of loorry and uneasiness, and rely implicitly upon your friend ! Well, this is just the way God wants you to rely upon and trust Him; and in doing so, you shall never be confounded.

2. He is to be recognized as a God of details, i. e., a God that takes notice of the smallest thing concerning the welfare of His children. The enemy would make us think that He is only willing to assist us in the large burdens and sorrows of life, but does not care to be bothered with the smaller ones. But it is not true. He is just as willing to assist us in the smallest care as in the largest one, provided we commit them to Him by simple faith and prayer.

Again, people sometimes think that God does not realize the urgent need, and great responsibility connected with some matters which they take to Him in prayer; hence, in their impetuosity and blind zeal, they rush down to Egypt for help, and thus grieve God and bring leanness to their soul.

3. The next thing to be remembered is this : There is nothing in heaven, earth or hell that can molest a child of God, unless it first gets permission from Him. Therefore, we need not worry over the daily happenings, ill luck, etc. The devil, our greatest foe, could not even molest a herd of swine, without first getting permission from the great God. And are we not more precious in His sight than they? "O ye of little faith!"

Chapter II. Nature^s Three Great Preachers

When we stop and consider the variety of preachers God is using in His great effort to save lost men, it is truly marvelous. He is using everything from a crawling insect to a revolving planet. He has so bestudded this old world with preachers of righteousness, that it is utterly impossible for a man or woman to continue upon earth twenty-four hours and not hear a gospel sermon.

My purpose in this chapter is to call the attention of the reader to three of nature's great preachers, and also paraphrase their resistless message.

1. The first one is, the Cooing Dove. We read in the Songs of Solomon 2 : 12, the following words : "The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." ^'The voice of the turtle/^ i e., the cooing dove, is one of the resistless preachers to which I wish to direct the attention of the reader.

Let us now proceed to paraphrase the dove's mission and message. First : It is to remind busy man of a forgotten God and a slighted heaven. When we look about us and see mankind in their mad rush and almost breathless pursuit after gold, pleasure and fame, they do not seem to have God or heaven in the least of their thought. But God in His infi-

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nature's three great preachers 15

nite mercy has sent this sublime messenger to the earth, to remind man of his Maker and a slighted heaven. What civilized man, woman, boy, or girl is to be found who can look upon this gentle, harmless bird, and listen to its heart-touching, soul-stirring, awe-stricken mourn, and not be pierced through with the awful thought of God, Eternity, Heaven and Hell?

Second : Her next mission is to remind man of the gentle, entreating, wooing Holy Spirit who has followed him daily from life's early morning, pleading with him to leave sin's road and yield to Christ and live. He has used every conceivable means in this great attempt. Yes, he has sent sorrow in your life, poverty in your home, and death in your family, but yet you have failed to heed His gentle voice.

Third: Her next mission is to remind man of Christ, the world's Kedeemer. When we look upon the Dove, we are at once reminded of Noah's dove and the "olive branch of peace" which symbolized the coming "Prince of Peace," the Christ of God, whose mission it should be to reconcile lost man to God, and earth to heaven. Hence, it is almost impossible to look upon this God-sent bird and listen to her mournful appeal, and not be reminded of the once crucified and risen Redeemer of the world.

Fourth: Her next great mission is to remind busy man of a coming judgment day, when this old world shall be destroyed by fire. We believe we are safe in saying that eight persons out of every ten, who are familiar with the story of Noah and the flood, are immediately reminded of the destruction of the old world when they hear this strange bird's lamentable song. When I was a boy, I never heard a more impressive sermon than the rueful evening song of the turtle dove. Well do I remember how it made my boyish heart swell and my eyes fill with tears, as I looked up into the blue vault and thought of God, heaven and a coming judgment day.

2. The next one of nature's great preachers that I wish to mention is the "Fading Leaf." In Isa. 64 : 6, we read these words : "And we all do fade as a leaf." Where can we find a more striking object lesson and a more convincing preacher than a fading leaf?

Let us briefly notice the message of the "Fading Leaf." Its first message is to remind the children of Adam of the short duration of strength and Tieauty, We all remember how beautiful the trees are in the springtime, clothed in their annual robe. We also remember how quickly they fade and fall to the ground. Just so it is with all the children of Adam, no matter how strong, healthy, or beautiful. It will only be a few years until Time will engrave her wrinkles in our faces, frost our hair, wither all of our bloom, and in a few brief years number us with the dead.

The second message of the Fading Leaf, is to yearly remind man that all upon earth is vanity and will soon pass away. "I saw a temple reared by the hand of man, standing with its high pinnacles in the distant plain. The streams beat about it, the God of nature hurled His thunderbolts against it; yet it stood as firm as adamant. Kevelry was in the hall; the gay, the happy, the young, the beautiful, were there. I returned and, lo! the temple was no

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more. Its high walls lay in scattered ruin. 'Who is the destroyer?' said I to my guardian angel. 'It is Time,' he said."

"How vain is all beneath the skies!

How transient ev'ry earthly bliss ! How slender all the fondest ties

That bind us to a world like this !"

3. Nature's next great preacher is the Setting Sun. In Eccles. 12 : 2, we read the following words : ''While the sun * * * be not darkened." Let us briefly observe the message of the Setting Sun. First, it reminds busy man of his pial retiring from the duties and various occupations of this life — when we shall come home from the field, the shop, the office and the store for the last time, and our sun of this life will set to rise no more.

Second: It also reminds the sinner of the awful night of hell that will succeed the sunset of his life. Jesus said, "The night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9:4). Let us notice some characteristics of that night.

First: It will be a night without rest or sleep. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever : and they have no rest day nor night."

Second : It is a night of impenetrable darkness. 'And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness" (Matt. 24:30). "To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever" (Jude 13).

Third : It shall be a night of excruciating pain. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 8:12). "And they gnaw their tongues for pain" (Rev. 16: 10). "Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9: 44).

Fourth : It shall be an endless night. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever" (Rev. 14:11). "Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isa. 33: 14).

Chapter III. The Goodness Of God

"The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom. 2:4).

The sin of the age, among all classes and nations, is ingratitude to God. If heaven would pass away and hell would burn up, every man and woman in the universe should serve God anyway, for His great benefits bestowed upon them from day to day.

Now reader let us take a retrospection of our lives and notice the unmerited favors which God has so graciously bestowed upon us from time to time.

First : We are out of hell ; if we had justice dealt to us, we would have been in hell where Hope and Mercy are strangers. Think of the many times we have sinned against God by breaking His laws time and again, yet He has spared us a while longer. Just think of the millions who are in hell, who did not sin against Him as long as we have. There are souls there who were cut off before they reached the age of twenty. But we are yet in the land of Mercy and Pardon. O, the marvelous goodness of God!

Secondly, God in His great mercy granted us a second chance, i. e., when man was put on trial in Eden and fell, God gave him another chance to regain His favor, by giving His Son to die for him, which favor was not granted to the fallen angels, but they are ' 'Reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto judgment of the great day" (Jude 6). Satan would give a million worlds, if he had them, to have the privilege we have of praying, repenting , and obtaining the favors of God, but it can never be granted. O think my brother ! What a great privilege we have which devils and lost spirits are deprived of. They only committed one offense that we are aware of, and were cast down to hell without being granted a chance to repent. You and I have offended God times without number, and still the door of mercy is open to us. But O, how soon it may close, if we do not accept the long offered pardon.

Third: Our lives are prolonged. Friend, it is actually a miracle to be alive, when we look around us and observe the many instruments of death that are thick in the land to hurry mortals home. Think of the thousands that are killed yearly by the fast railroad cars and the thousands that go down to a watery grave every year, and the thousands who are killed in the cities yearly by gas explosions, electric cars, runaway horses, and adulterated foods, etc. When we consider how much poisonous food enters our systems, why it is only God who keeps us alive. Think of the poisonous meats, and stale eggs and the stale canned food that we get, which doubtless has been canned for years. O, it is only the goodness of God that we are alive! How true are the words of the poet, who says,

"Death rides upon the passing breeze, And lurks In every flower;

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Each season has its own disease, Its perils every hour."

Fourth: We still enjoy health. Men do not realize what a God-given blessing it is to have health. It is not properly appreciated until it is gone. But when we visit the sick rooms, and the hospitals, the health resorts and other places and see the hundreds of souls that are there, shut in, confined to a bed or a dark chamber or in an invalid's chair, or hobbling on a pair of crutches, or raving in an insane asylum with reason lost in their stormy brain ; then and not until then, do we know how to appreciate the goodness of God by giving us health.

Fifth: God keeps the lamp of hope burning in our breast. O, what a miserable world this would be if the lamp of hope would be blown out ! Amidst sorrow's bitterest cup we are encouraged to hope it will be sweeter to-morrow. In disappointment's gloomiest vale, we are encouraged to hope for a brighter day. Under poverty's cold iron hand, we cheer up, and, with inspiring hope, look for better times. But life would be a burden without the lamp of hope. This is why hell is so gloomy and dismal because hope dies in every breast that crosses its threshold. It is a place where hope is a stranger, where for hope and joy they reap despair. Now, dear readers, do you think that God is making any unfair demand on you by requiring a wholehearted service? Now from this hour surrender yourself to Him completely which is your reasonable service and you will be greatly benefited both in this world and the world to come. Amen,

Chapter IV. Confidence

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward" (Heb. 10: 35).

While meditating on the above text I was especially impressed with the word ^'GonjidenceJ' First, in its relation to God, and then in its relation to man.

The primary meaning of the word, says Webster, is '^A trusting or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability, or veracity of another." There is not a factor in the church of Jesus Christ that Satan strives more incessantly to destroy than he does ^'Confidence." The cause for this may be found in the two following reasons: First, '^Confidence" is the coupling-pin that links man to God, and earth to heaven. ''He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). Secondly, "Confidence" is the coupling-pin that links man to man. It would be impossible to do business in the commercial world if men were void of confidence in each other. It takes a degree of confidence to deposit money in a bank, post a letter, send a telegram, buy a railroad ticket, etc., etc. If confidence is such an important factor in the business world, and men find it utterly impos-

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sible to succeed without it, of how much greater importance must it be in the religious world, since it is utterly impossible to advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ without it?

Let us briefly notice some of the reasons why we need confidence toward God.

First, it delivers us completely from doubts and fears, and gives us clearness, assurance, and soul rest. How well do we all remember the time when we were tormented with doubt and fear, and pressed down beneath the load of sin and guilt! But when we fully trusted Jesus, we received a witness that our many sins were all forgiven, and immediately every doubt vanished and there sprung up spontaneously in our hearts a peace, rest, and assurance that all hell could not refute.

A second reason why we need confidence in God is because it opens the door and clears the way for Him to verify His promises with us. The Bible with its three thousand promises is of no value to the man who does not have enough confidence in the God of heaven to rely and depend upon Him for their fulfilment. The promises are valueless unless we have confidence to step out upon them.

A third reason why we need to retain confidence in God is that it lays the foundation for hope, i. e., a reliance upon God for protection and reward in the day of judgment. Since He has been so faithful in assisting us and has brought us through so many hard and difficult places, we are therefore encouraged to trust Him for future protection. Job said, "I know that my Kedeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" (Job. 19:25). Paul said, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12).

Saint Stephen looked up through a shower of stones and with enamored trust and childlike confidence committed his emancipated spirit into the hands of the Redeemer of the world.

We will now mention some of the reasons why Christians need confidence in each other.

First, because it somehow limits and gauges their love one for the other. It is an unvarying rule in every clime and age of the world, that men love those most in whom they have the greatest confidence. This rule not only holds good among sinners, but among the holiest of men. Jesus so loved the world that He died for every human being, and yet He had a greater love for the Church. Again, He had more confidence in Peter, James and John than He did in the other nine disciples, and yet, of this select three. He had greater love for John than for the other two. Why? the question may be asked. Because John had the greatest love for Him.

When people backslide and desert the cause of God, we cannot help losing a degree of confidence in them, neither can we help losing a measure of the love we had for them in former days when they walked with God. Of course we have the same amount of love for them that we have for other sinners, but cannot retain the same degree ^that we

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have for the saints of God. Whenever confidence is affected, love is also affected, and remains so until confidence is restored.

Secondly, confidence is a preserver of Mutuality, Unity, and Fellowship. Satan is aware of this fact, therefore, he puts up a hard fight to destroy brotherly confidence in the church. If one can show me a church where the members do not have confidence in each other, I will show him a church w^here there is bickering, contention, and strife all the time.

Third, Confidence is a perpetuator of Mercy and Generosity, It becomes natural for us to sympathize and bestow gifts upon those whom we love and have confidence in; but on the other hand we are rather reluctant in sympathizing and giving to those in whom we have no confidence. Therefore, if Satan can succeed in destroying our confidence in the saints, he has succeeded in stopping the flow of Mercy and Generosity in our hearts, and also robbed us of the blessing of the ^'^Cheerful givers."

A fourth reason why we need to retain confidence in each other, is that we may be a constant blessing one to the other. No matter how gifted a man may be to sing, pray, testify, exhort, or preach, he is of no help to those who have no confidence in him. He may be greatly blessed, and at times jump and shout, but this will not help things if confidence is lost. Nothing will mend matters but a restoration of confidence.

I now mention a few of the multiplicity of methods used by the devil in destroying confidence.

First, by bringing in friction and misunderstanding. Misunderstanding is by no means a sin. However, it is a powerful factor in the hands of the devil to separate the saints and blight the work of God. It is possible for a misunderstanding to arise between the holiest of men, notwithstanding that as a fact, if it is not quickly rectified and removed, it will work havoc and ruin as lasting as eternity. There arose a misunderstanding between Paul and Barnabas that affects the Church of God until this day. Therefore, brethren, do not let a misunderstanding exist between you for an hour, but get together and talk the thing over, and clear it up in the mind of each other, so as to retain confidence. It is good, said one, to retain even the good-will of a dog.

Secondly, the next method which Satan uses to destroy confidence, is to arouse suspicion and surmising in the minds of the saints, respecting the character of some brother or sister. Therefore, when accepted and given place in the heart, it becomes sin and separates the soul from God. ^'Charity thinketh no evil * * * believeth all things, hopeth all things" — Bible.

A third method, used by the devil in destroying confidence, is seen when God's people strain the scripture and set up a false standard of piety, one which they do not, nor cannot live themselves. However, they expect others to do so, and when they fail, they are censured and criticised by these false standard-bearers. Mr. Wesley says, "To place the standard of holiness too high crowds it out of the world just as quickly as it does to place it too low."

Fourth, Satan's next successful method of wrecking confidence, is throwing a spell over God's people

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that turns them to "eyes." He makes them believe that they are endowed with the gift of discernment, and are commissioned of God to see every one's faults, and to set everybody right. Hence, all they seem to see from morning till night, at home or abroad, in every church, convention, or camp-meeting, is faults^ failures, compromisey unbelief, carnality, luke-warmness, worldliness, tameness, etc. If what they say is true, there is not a 7'eal, clearcut, red-hot, genuine holiness person in the world but themselves. They seem to forget that God has seven thousand that have not bowed their knees to Baal. They are not looking for good traits in other Christians, therefore, they do not find them. It is to be remembered that spiders find poison in the same blossoms that bees find honey. The secret is, the spider is only on the lookout for poison. Keader, are you like this spider?

Chapter V. Lifers Race

"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).

The apostle here compares the Christian life to the running of a race. But we want to enlarge upon the thought, and compare the life of all men upon earth as running a great race ; i. e., we want to compare the earth to a great race course, and all men as racers.

Let us notice a few interesting features about a race course, and the parties engaged therein. 1. The first thing men want to know concerning a race before they put their money in, is, what is the distance of the race. Sometimes the distance is only a half mile, sometimes three quarters, and sometimes a mile, a mile and a quarter. But this race on Time's race course, in which vou and I are running, is from the cradle to the grave. From Time to Eternity. This great race began with us on that day, that hour, when the news was proclaimed, that a man or woman, child, was born into the world. Yes, that moment when our eyes first opened and beheld the big sun, and the azure sky and looked into the sublime face of man. Ah! it was then, we entered this great race from Time to Eternity, and every day, every hour, every moment, every second

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since that time, whether we work or play, whether we serve God or serve him not, we have been running with the rapidity of "time" toward eternity's goal.

2. The next thing men want to know concerning a race is, what horses are to run, and how many. Sometimes there are two in a race, sometimes four five and so on. They all run, but only one wins. But in this great race from time to eternity, who are the racers? We answer, every man, woman and child, of all colors and all classes ; yea, rich and poor, high and low, great and small. We are all hourly running away from every toy of time, yes, from wealth, honor, fame and everything below. O ! how different men would conduct themselves upon earth, and what little interest they would take in time's fading toys, if they could fully realize the fact that they are hourly leaving everything below and making rapid strides for eternity's goal.

3. In this great race of life, who are the contesting parties? For there can be no race without a contesting, i. e., some one striving to defeat us. Every son and daughter of Adam has three contesting parties, viz., The World, The Flesh, The Devil. These three have consolidated, and are striving to defeat every child of Adam. First, the World has invented new phases of pleasure, such as the dance, the skating rink, the beer gardens, the theatres, the excursion and a thousand others to defeat the children of Adam in winning the crown of life. Secondly, the Flesh has agreed to induce them by inflaming their passions, intensifying their evil desires, play upon their evil natures, and making them gauge their appetites, etc. It has also fettered them with habit and unnatural appetites, such as the cravings for tobacco, rum, opiates, etc., and thus defeat them from winning the prize. Thirdly, the Devil has planned to defeat them. 1. Through unbelief; by making them doubt the word of God, the power of the blood; doubt the divinity of Jesus; doubt the doctrine of hell and eternal punishment, doubt the doctrine of living without sin. 2. He has planned to defeat them through Procrastination, by telling them, ''there is plenty of time to become a Christian." 3. He has planned to defeat them through deception, i. e., through false religions, viz.. Christian Science, Mormonism, Universalism, Millennial Dawnism, etc. O eternity-bound traveler, who is in the lead with you in this great race? Is it God, or is it the World, the Flesh, and the Devil?