There is a mistaken idea abroad concerning unity. Because there is no outward eruption, and because things seem to run smooth, they take it for granted that there is oneness. There is such a thing as being frozen together instead of melted together. Jesus prayed for His disciples that they might be sanctified, that they all might be one. It is the sanctifying baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire that makes people one in the proper and scriptural sense. If one had any fire in which to keep warm, and should attempt to live in some frozen regions, they would soon cool him off, and he would be frozen together with them. The story is told of an eagle floating down the Niagara river on a cake of ice. He was enjoying a feast on a lamb which was frozen to the ice. After a while the eagle neared the falls, but he was not afraid, because he could fly. Finally, as the water got swifter, the eagle was seen to spread his wings and prepare for the escape. When he saw that he could remain no longer with impunity, he attempted to spring from the ice, when, lo and behold, he found himself frozen to the cake of ice. With an awful screech and wings flapping he went over the falls to destruction. May the Lord save _us_ from too much self-confidence and from remaining where death and destruction are inevitable, and where freezing and falling go together. Quite a number of years ago the writer and another evangelist were invited to a certain church in New Orleans for revival services. A certain, noted evangelist had formerly served in that church as pastor, and great good had resulted from his ministry. The pastor at this time stated in his invitation to us, that should we accept it, it must be with the understanding that we were not to preach holiness as a second work of grace; that the church had previously undergone quite an upheaval on that line, but now things had quieted down, and peace was now reigning instead. It might be of some interest to know if we accepted his invitation. Our answer was about on this line: "We thank you for your invitation to assist in meetings in your church, but inasmuch as you have placed an embargo on the stream of holiness as a second work of grace, which is the only way any one ever received it, we feel if we should accept the invitation under such conditions we would be selling Jesus Christ at a less figure than Judas got for Him. And furthermore, may not that peace and quietude of which you speak relative to the church, be the quietude of the graveyard instead of a live church?" Suffice it to say, we did not receive any further invitation. It is a very easy thing to compromise both as preachers and laymen, and accommodate ourselves to cooled off environments, till we are a very part of the thing ourselves. As long as God has provided a warm home for His sheep and lambs, let us see to it that we have the benefit of the same. Amen! CHAPTER XIX PALM TREE PECULIARITIES