The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-08-14

where the hot south wind which ha
not been ireightcd more or less witI
their benedictions and hymns OF graft
tnde and praise But fruitful she mus
continue Ia 5e. Let the work OF mis-
siOns cease: let benevolent charlie
stop Tor the want al means; let Ia
wori1 : hui'ling up colleges and sem
inaries OF learning come ia fina
stand still: let the erection OF chapel
and church structures be done ava,
with; let the education OF a sound ana
able ministry be given up; let sab
bath and mission schools be deserted
let public worship become not mat.
Ter OF principle and purpose, but o
taste and convenience; let the altar oil
prayer fail down; let the sunday din
ner take tie place OF the Sunday ser
vice; let dress and show supplant this
substance and the wori. of the gospel
and how long would it take to calcu-
late the results? Let me tell you
friends, Almighty Ged abhors unfruit-
fitness in churches.
Though planted by His hand they
shall come up ana come down When
they undertake TO ike On what they
hare done and not what they are now
doing, the time of blasting is close at
hand. Hear the message OF the day.
spring from on high, 'fAnd now also
the AK is laid at the root of the tree
therefore every tree which bringetll
not forth good fruit is hewn down and
cast into the fire. Bring forth there
fore fruits meet for repentance" How
the assembled SAVIOR warns those
churches addressed in the apocalypse.
Before the first century had gone by
they had begun 10 show sign OF decay
and barrenness. 81 have somewhat
against thee because thou hast left thy
first love. Remember therefore whence
thou art fallen and repent and do thy
/ first works, or else ! will come unto
thee and remove the eandiestick from
ont Of its place." And was not the
candlestick removed out OF its place I?
| And what words are those addressed to
the church of the Laodicsans: ST
| know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot. / would that thou vert
| cold or hot. So that because thou art
| lukewarnl, neither cold nor hot, l will
/ spew thee out of my mouth. Because
! thou sayest ! am rich and increased in
| goods and have need of nothing and
| knowest not that that thou art wretch
| ed and miserable and poor and blind
and Naked
Were not these churches of Asia
Minor true apostolic churches? But
they were blOtted out. They stood in
the vineyard of the Lord cumberers of
the ground, showing nothing but
leaves and dry and withered at that.
bn Oh eel
inent for its piety and good works
What now is it and what for ages has
it been: Nothing but leaves. Aye,
worse than that, dead trunk, rot
ten carcass. a tree is it? Aye, blast
ed, withered, Il Judgement for clouds
of unclean birds, leaves that distil poi
son, casting dark shadow on the ma
tions. Then let ali of the churches of
America beware! God loves the fruit
ful, but fruitless ones shall withcr and
fall. No fair limb will save the tree.
"EvcFy branch that beareth fruit He
purgeth it that it may bring forth
more fruit. Every branch that bear
eth not fruit he taketh it away Be-
ware, then, . barren tree! God alb
IIcrs unfruitfalness."
uI.--INpIvIDUALs.
lie nextdealt with frHitless indiyid-
uals. God comes for fruit. He does
not seek TO know what church we be-
long TO; how much profession We have
made; how many blossoms we have
hung out; how full OF leaves our
bonghs may be. Fruit and not foliage
is the object Of the Divine solicituae.
'EAnd row that we may make no
mistake the word of God has catalogucd
the fruits demanded and given us their
names. F'The fruit of the spirit is love,
JOY, peace, long suffering, Kindness,
ance." Again, ''The wisdom that is
from above is first pure, then peacea-
bic, gentle, easy, fun of clemency and
good fruits, without Partially and
without Hypocrisy My nearer in the
church my nearer out of the church,
whether you profess faith or deny it,
yOu are the iiS tree standing by the
way side The Savior now passes by
and tarrias looking for fruit. Thou
vast brought up in \ christian family
favored, mayiap, with u fathers
godly counsel--blcsE with Il mothers
warm and tender pity, who, bending
DER thy infant form, watched thy
steps in youth and mingled with her
tfsECsFClE bAEcoLbEs tto Ci4C VII IlEtt tItll
her bible TO bless her child, the matern-
al ejaculation, "My son, if thou be wise
my heart shall rejoice, even Enine.'
Thou who hast had & christian birth
and education, WHO hast sat within
the sound of the blessed gospel, whose
path has been made rich by the
providence of God, whose opportuni-
ties have been multiplying, bur remain
unimpTOved, thou art the barren fig
tree. ''Nothiug but leaves. When
il comes To this there is not much
longer delay. Those who become ut
terry barren, whether nations, church,
es or individuals, are doomed. "Eph-
rain is Joined to his idols" let him
alone: God abhors fruitlcss profess
sors. The doom of the impenitent and
the hypocrite hangs over them. In
the miracle the fruitless tree was
blasted. In the parable it was eat
down. In the case of him whom it
represents, the unfruitful nearer, it is
both. Cut it down! Cut it down.
Why cumberetIl il the ground? What,
4 tree? No, a sout-a soul immortal.
What soul l.? Whose soul? The fruit
less soul. The soul which yields no
fruit, no blossom bears-"N othing but
leaves" Cut that soul down! Stand
where it may, in the vineyard or by
the way side, cut it down-in the
church or out of the church, cut il
down.
The minister closed this practical
and earnest discourse by quoting the
following beautiful stanzas:
"Nothing but leaves! Tae spirit grieyes
over wasted life;
Ger sins INDUCED while conscience slept,
DER vows aud promises uni.ept,
And reaps from years of strife
Nothing bet leaves
Nothing bur leaves, No gathered sIls,:,ye
is.5xttfsfis's fair ripening grain;
Nc SON our seeds 10! tarcs ami weeds,
E-erdz. Idle words, for earnest deeds.
Wnreap with toll and paia,
Nothing but leaves.
| Nothing but leaves! Sad memory we,ves
No veil to hide the past.
Aud ~ we trace our weary My.
Counting cael, lost and nisspent day.
.sdiY wc tiEd 1t last
I Nothing buJ lcayes.
OH WHO shall thus the Master meet.
l. Fearing bnt withered leaves.
All, who shall ~ the SAVERS feet.
Before the awful Judgment seat.
! I.ay down, for golden shaave<,
Nothing bat leaves.
COUNCIL PRoCEEDINGS
CITY CoUNcfE. CHAMBER, Aug. iith.
Present Mayor Graham and all Tbs
members.
Minutes Of the meeting held August ),
read and approved.