St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-12-10
Hand Picked"
HOW SOILS ARE SAVED.

The pastor of Carmel Chapel, III the
BoweIy. reports aslaIgc Attendance up
on the various services held there,
many rising tor prayer; but he adds
that experience Is teaching us that. af
ter all. personai cfort is Tie main thing
on which we must rely for any peIma-
nent results"
Exactly 50. This is the normal
method of gathering into the kingdom
of Cod. If We expect to get mtu
through the gate, We must take the
in swinging it open. The difference is
heaven wide between saving Go" or
saving "COme.
Last month | went 10 the orchard.
where men and boys were picking APP
piles. There hung he truit in red and
tempting beauty, on hllnchc> very
difficult to reach. Here WAS twenty
foot ladder sci up. and on 1t II man WAS
stretchim" out right aud left. almost
bHl >llllS MS Jl'ht'' w l'lH' INV wy
and unwilling fruit. There. again. WAS
another ladder. forty feet long. aud on
it stood another man, ut Il "iddy
height reaching all around him for the
apples. \ strong wind the day before
had shaken off omr-half the fruit. and
it laid plump and perfect. on the
I L.
put in these apples They. are perfect
" sound" No." said the farmer. mot
one of those will answer for winter use.
They will show Il hIuisc III thirty days.
and will begin To perish. Don't put an
apple, into the barrel that is not hdnd
pickcd These are the only ones we
can RELY upon" \ sermon burst upon
me ut these words. 1t WIS impressive
to see Il dozen bushels of handsome aI-
pies left neglected on the ground he
cause no hand had touched them. while
such pains WAS taken To reach the
hanging fruit.
My bIundcr over the apples was the
blundcI of many II gatlcrtI of spirit
ual fruit. 1t i natural to wish and
wait for some great moving of the
Spirit to carry men into the kingdom.
Some rushing, mighty wind, is looked
for to Shdkr doTn the fruit which We
are sent to hdnd-pjck with pains and
care. 1t is Il popular falIacy of good
people that soul-Saviug can he done in
some wholesale way. if only the favor
able conditions can he supplied. And
:" there is II looking this WAY and that.
for this man and for that man. while
we wait tni the great movement which
shall do the work.
All scripture and all experience. eX
poses the mistake. Hand pickin" is
the rule of saving the fruit of the king"
dom. Let the divine movement hc a>
pronounced rs il may. Let Ncttlrton<.
FinncNs nr MoodN> direct the services.
Let the spiritual uphcaval Ice ever 50
deep and broad. Still il is true. eNccp-
ti"nS excepted, that the way of the
Spirit az God is through one heart to
another heart through one eye to AN
other eve through one inviting voice.
int" the ear of Il friend who listens
apart. Those who carry with them the
most marked tokens of Gods presence
and favor: who ask for the greatest
outpouring of the holy spirit: whose
faith gra>pS the frIitagr of prayer with
the CREATES! certainty and success
these are the very ouc> who will accept
earnestly upon personal effort ~ the
means and mca>ur" of permanent re-
suit.
1t is a hlundrr To imagine that great
answers +" prayer are shaken down
prnmiScuou>lN in monday meetings
Beside the benefits of public prayer,
there is Il private strain and pressure of
faith. And il is not Incredible that III
all these instances of wonderful answer
to prayer there has been an underlying
personal faith. ont of sight. These
rich fruits of salvation have not come
down wind-shaken they have been
hand-picked by the trembling fingers
of faith.
Great genius is simply great power of
work. Great faith i strong to do. as
well aS to ask. Great rcvivals are
merely widespread efforts of piouS
people to bring others TO Christ. Given
the longing. the asking and the doing.
and there Is the revival. The harvest
waits tor no Moody and >ankcy. when
the Lord of the harvest sees such toll
erS at work. And whatever these. hon
'orcd servants may he able to do with
the earnest cooperation of Christians.
they are SamSoh> ShOrn. weak as other
men, and p.werlc>s to save. if good
people stand looking on instead of
working. The fruit for winter USE
must he handpickcd. The fruit of
the kingdom. If YOU could but see,
would all bear traces of some loving
touch. Rer. Frederick &. clark. u. d..
IN Obserrer.
Temperance.