THE PALM TREE FINDS THE WATER

This marvelous production of nature is not hindered by the scorching sun of the desert, nor is it dependent upon the copious showers of rain. If the rain comes, all well and good; but if it fails, the palm flourishes right on anyway. But it will get to water. If it does not come down from above, then it sends down its roots till they drink at the subterranean stream below. Water it must have and water it will find.

Now, if God has a people that flourish this way, it signifies that they will get where there is the water of life. If the "showers of blessing" are falling in the revival meeting, or campmeeting, or at the regular preaching service, they are sure to be present if possible and "take of the water of life freely." Perchance they are out on some spiritual desert far from any means of grace where the gospel sound is never heard; there they are not dependent upon the revival rains, but they send down the roots of faith till they strike the under-currents, and then with joy they "draw water out of the wells of salvation."

How refreshing to meet with such independent specimens of God's handiwork! If they get to the place of worship where God's people are free, they are a whole campmeeting in themselves. Out of them are flowing "rivers of living water," because of the Spirit's incoming. They never dry up, nor freeze up, because they keep in touch with the living stream from the heavenly fountain head, and bask in the spiritual tropics where the Sun of righteousness has arisen upon them.

Oh, for more palm tree saints! May we all be so in touch with the reservoir of the skies, that we may say, "All my springs are in thee." Then, no matter whether our lot is with many pilgrims or none, we may flourish on and shine and shout, and show to the world that we are in touch with hidden springs. Amen!

It is certainly a puzzle to the world and worldly minded professors, when one, who has no visible means of enjoyment, keeps up a happy, cheerful experience, and though her lot or his lot is extremely dry, and barren of what generally goes to make people happy, yet the hidden stream is flowing, and that soul is drinking of the fountain that never runs dry. The deep, underlying current has been found and is supplying a peace which the world can not give, nor can it take away.

When the martyrs went to the stake, they had a triumphant tread and a victorious faith and a well-spring of joy which were indeed an enigma to the persecutors.

Who can understand Madame Guyon in her dismal prison cell singing her sweet song, a hundred times happier than those outside, or realize the triumphant joy of the Apostle Paul as he faces the axman's block, and expresses a gladsome victory over it all, unless he is acquainted with the deep undercurrent of full salvation life?

What would have become of the Apostle John on Patmos' lonely isle, shut off from all associations with kindred spirits on earth, with no prayermeeting nor fellowship such as he had been so accustomed to enjoy, had he not known the way to the hidden springs which brought him in contact with the Eternal? There was no place to banish this pilgrim saint that would shut him off from the water of life. When human hands banished him to an island in the sea, thinking they could cut off his supply, he proved to the world that he could reach the hidden springs and be in touch with the Infinite, in spite of his banishment. God's holy ones are a conundrum to the world. "For we are made a spectacle [theater in the margin] unto the world, and to angels, and to men," and they do not understand the mystery of the hidden glory and springs of life, the very angels desiring to look into some of these mysteries (1 Peter 1:12).

There are some people, when we have not seen them for a few months, we hardly dare to ask them how they are prospering, for fear they will drop their heads and say, "Well, not so well as I would like." They have not been drinking at the fountain. They did not send down their roots and find the under-currents of saving grace; and the result is, they have no victorious testimony to the power of Jesus to save. On the other hand, there are certain individuals, though we have not seen them for years, we scarcely think of asking them how they are getting along, for we have known of their overcoming life so long, that we naturally take it for granted that it is still well with their souls. We do not expect anything different from the past, except more of it. Many years ago we received a postal card from a brother in a distant city relative to some business. It being a business card, the most of it was printed matter, even his name being printed. The card closed with these words: "Yours saved, H. W. S.——." In thinking the matter over, we observed that in all probability the brother had several hundreds of the cards printed, and he knew very well that it would take some time, perhaps weeks or months, before the last card would be sent out. The thought then was, Brother S——, how did you know that when the last card would be sent out, it would still be, "Yours, saved, H. W. S——?" How did you know but it would be, "Yours, backslidden, H. W. S——?" The fact was, that Brother S—— had made no calculation on backsliding, and he figured that the last card would be just as true as the first. Eight or ten years passed and we received a note from this same brother. Instead of signing his name the way he did before, it was, "Yours saved to the uttermost, hallelujah, H. W. S——." Now, after years had passed and gone, he could still sign his name the same, only more of it.

In the economy of grace, God has made no provision for one to have less grace than in the past. The best experience of one's life should be up-to-date. It is a sad epoch in one's life when he can take a retrospect and look down the lane of long ago and see a better experience than now. That person has certainly headed toward Egypt that sees the highest plane of his Christian experience, and then gets the consent of his mind to live on a lower plane. "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection." When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea they sang and shouted and had a hallelujah time; but their slogan was, "On to Canaan." When finally, the survivors and those who were born on the way crossed the River Jordan, they built a monument, which signified that they had come over there to stay.