Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-08-19
No. | 6,

and utilizing the laws Of the spiritual
that we do in the natural world.
,Fesus said III cur text "The harvest
is the end of the wcrld,' as laborers or
rs the wheat growing in our Lords
field, our labor and growth will cease
at OUR death and the end of the world
will be the great general hartest.-
What then is our present dutyo The
progressive farmer will not waste the
time Of harvest in arguing or quarrel
ing with his neighbor who persists in
using the sickle because his ancestors
did, but he will 80 into his OWN broad
fields and Use his reaper or binder and
let his neighbor learn from observation.
Nature, the business world, reason and
the scriptures all teach us that IN Sc
curing our spiritual interests and all
vancin8 the Redeemer' S kingdom it is
our duty to study the scriptures and
seek to understand the laws of the
spiritual world and obey them.
The methods of agriculture used by
our ancestors would net meet the de-
mands Of the present and feed the in
creased population of the world F.; nor
would the efforts Of the church a CEN
tury ago, which were effective in that
day, be adequate to The wants Of these
active progressive times. Our grand
parents, in many places, nsel to assem-
ble once a month at the log church for
divine services, they had no Sunday
Schools no regular weekly lectures,
there were but few church or secular
papers. But with the progress of the
age and increased activity in the world
Increased efforts and more effective ac.
tvitv must be put forth everywhere in
the church, we sometimes hear allu.
sions made to the good old times Of the
past, but correct contrast proves that
the church to-day, in knowledge, IN
piety, liberality and activity is far in
advance of even forty years ago. Our
ancestors used the sickle for they knew
of nothing Better and the few acres to
harvest did not demand anything much
better but for US to use the sickle be.
cause il does not cost as much nor re-
quire 50 much effort 10 manage as the
reaper or srlf-bin1er would not be wise
or economical. Our duty is the duty
of today and not Of the past, our duty
is to wake up to the progressive actlv-
lty of every thing around us and by
1iligenJ study Of the spiritual laws and
a faithful use ofcvery legitimate means
of growth in grace seek to advance the
discrimination of religious truth.
Our duty is to value our religious in
tercsts above the worldly and to be no
less active and faithful in the discharge
Of our church duties than in our busi.
ness affairs.
Study, wisdom and efforts are as es-
Genital in one, as in the other and the
religious is far more necessary to tenn
| poral happiness, not to speak of the
eternal reward, than the worldly can
! be.
As members Of the church We have
conSecrated all our powers to Christ
and profess to believe in the promises
made to the faithful, neglect therefore
on our part proves our insincerity and
reflects bad influence on the world.
! Our duty therefore is to be CONSTANT
dil1gent and faithful in dcvising liberal
things for the church and i'll putting
forth the most effective efforts to pro
mote its interests
The world, Chrst's great field is ripe
unto the harvest then are but few who
! do not have some idea and some faith
| in Christ and some respect for the
christian religion, but the inconslstan-
cies, the errors, the improper and un-
reasonable use Of means, the want Of
wisdom on the part Of members keeps
many out of the church and away from
/ Christ.
Tares will always grow among the
wheat, these cannot be removed till
the great harvest, but We should not
SOW tarcs nor cultivate them, nor neg
lect our duty because there is a tare
standing here and another there.
Brethren, the harvest is the end Of
the world, that end Will soon come to
me and many of you, the angels are
now gathering in the sheaves. What ,
what shall that harvest We to each of
us? Are we tares or ya.N, Are we
united to Christ by living faith, a
faith that produces works, Il faith that
loves CHRIST and mankind, faith that
loves to labor for the master. What?
What shall the final harvest at the
end of the world be to each of us2
Let us be active i'll our day and
labor TO know and do the mast er will.