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"He wrote and published comprehensive histories of England and Rome.

"He wrote grammars of the Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French, and English languages.

"He wrote, abridged, revised, and published a library of fifty volumes known as the 'Christian Library,' and some time after he re-read, revised, corrected, and published the whole in thirty large volumes. This library contains one of the richest collections found in the English language.

"He wrote a good-sized work on electricity.

"He prepared and published for the common people three works on medicine.

"He published six volumes of church music. His poetical works, in connection with his brother Charles, amounted to not less than forty volumes. Charles wrote most of them, but they passed under the keen revision of John, without which we doubt if Charles Wesley's hymns would have been what they are—the most beautiful and soul-inspiring to be found in the English language.

"In addition to these multiplied publications, we have seven large volumes, including sermons, journals, letters and controversial papers known as 'Wesley's Works.' It is claimed that Mr. Wesley's works, including abridgments and translations, amounted to at least two hundred volumes. It is difficult to understand how a man could have found time to accomplish so much literary labor while perpetually on the wing.

"In addition to all this, Wesley was a pastor and did more real pastoral work than nine-tenths of the pastors of these times. One has only to read his journals to be convinced of this. For a time he visited all the class and band meetings, and had special charge of the select societies. He appointed all the class and band leaders, stationed all the preachers, and had a general oversight of the many thousands of his followers.

"He improved every moment of the day. Mr. Fletcher, who was for some time his traveling companion, says of him, 'His diligence is matchless. Though oppressed with the weight of seventy years, and the care of 30,000 souls, he shamed still, by his unabating zeal and immense labors, all the young ministers of England, perhaps, of Christendom. He has frequently blown the gospel trumpet and rode twenty miles before most of the professors who despise his labors have left their downy pillows. As he begins the day, the week, so he concludes them, still intent upon extensive service for the glory of the Redeemer and the good of souls.

"'From four o'clock in the morning until ten at night every moment was occupied in loving efforts to save the lost; and he never lost ten minutes from wakefulness at night, as he himself affirmed. His motto was, "always in haste, but never in a hurry." "Leisure and I have taken leave of each other." "Ten thousand cares are no more to me than ten thousand hairs on my head." "I am never weary with writing, preaching or traveling," are a few of the utterances of this remarkable man. And in the midst of all this wonderful activity he says, "I enjoy more hours of private retirement than any man in England."'"

No wonder he could shout on his dying bed with the heavenly halo around his head and say, "The best of all is, God is with us."

Look at that apostle of faith, George Muller, after he had prayed in millions of dollars, cared for thousands of orphans, preached in many lands and sent missionaries throughout the world, still active for God between eighty and ninety years of age.

Thomas Mayhew was one of those early missionaries to the North American Indians. When on his way to the old country to seek further aid for his work, he was lost at sea. His old father, then past his seventieth year, regarded this sad bereavement as God's call for him to fill the place made vacant by the death of his son. He immediately began to study the Indian language, and went forth to carry on the mission of his son, which he did until his death at the age of ninety-three. In his travels, the old man would often have to walk twenty miles through the woods to preach to the Indians. Surely, this was better than idle sorrow. It was bringing forth fruit in old age. He had the palm tree vitality and blessing.

I am thinking just now of an aged minister. For over half a century he has served God in the regular ministry, and now although over six years past the "allotted time" of life, he is untiring in his work and zeal for God. He is up to date in all the departments of the work. He is superintendent of the home department of the Sunday school, and does work like a pastor in his regular visitations. He enters open doors and preaches many sermons. He is a most zealous advocate of prohibition, and stands in the forefront ranks in pushing that important work, and is president of the prohibition work in his community. His zeal for the foreign missionary field is most inspiring, and by faith, with all the other blessings of giving that he takes upon himself, he has just taken a native missionary to support from his limited means. While he is so active on all the live issues of the church, and is at his post to push and pull, yet he is seemingly most at home in the battle for souls. You can count on him at the revival unless he is providentially hindered. And when the seekers line up at the altar, he is at hand to pray and shout the battle on. He has the word "superannuated" applied somewhere, but we think it a misnomer and that a more appropriate word would be "superabundant."

CHAPTER VII

THE PALM TREE IS NOTED FOR ITS UTILITY

The uses to which the different palm tree varieties are put are something marvelous in the extreme. There is nothing like it in all the vegetable world. All parts are utilized, from the trunk and branches to the sap. From the branches they make cages for poultry, and fences for gardens. From the leaves they manufacture couches, baskets, bags, and mats. From the fiber they make thread, ropes, and rigging. From the sap is manufactured a drink, while seeds are ground up for provender for camels.

The following will show some of the many uses of the various kinds of palms: Fuel, clothing, building material, tents, cages, crates, fences, thatching, bridges, masts, boats, oars, canes, umbrellas, umbrella sticks, couches, baskets, bags, matting, mattresses, hammocks, pillows, cushions, carpets, sail cloth, oakum, paste-board, kites, thread, fishlines, bowstrings, ropes, rigging, tables, stands, chairs, bedsteads, cradles, window blinds, brooms, brushes, utensils, cooking vessels, weapons, shields, tools, hooks, spear tips, arrow heads, needles, fans, ornaments, hats, bonnets, musical instruments, paper, writing paper, candles, wax, resin, tannin, dying materials, medicines, tonics, refreshing drinks, vinegar, sugar, starch, meal, bread, sago, syrup for cooking, substitute for salt, oil for butter, oil for light and lubrication, and for making soap. And the carnal ingenuity of depraved man has even discovered how he can get drunk on the fermented juices. Besides all these a substance is used in tanning leather. The shell of the stems is used for making gutters, timber for flooring and wharf material, stems for blowpipes for poisonous arrows. One kind of palm is used in the construction of rude suspension bridges. Another affords a substitute for ivory. One part is used for fattening hogs. It is said that the various uses are declared to be three hundred sixty. Thus we see that it could be of some use about every day in the year. Reader, are you flourishing like this, and good for something every day in the year?

God certainly intends us to be useful. It means something to fill one's sphere in the world as Christ intended. There is something more to do than to plow corn, milk