The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-06-24
CO-lAB ORERS.

Co.LABoRERs.
The ImperfectiOn of Gods Work In Nature
Is an Invitation to Us.
81 want the yard cleaned the leaves
and sticks raked up and burned, and the
fower-bed made ready for my seeds and
plants"
o wife, rejoice little longer in ma
lures bounty! Be content with her prov
idence. She stripped the trees of their
leaves and the winds scattered them
over the yard. The icy fingers Of Jack
Frost broke off a few dead limbs from
the big sycamore. Nature has made
this litter, not /. Soon she will restore
things. The grass will grow, and its
greenness will be frightened here and
there by dandelion, and, for wide
leaved plants, you will have the dock,
horse-radish and all the rest of their
goodly company. Let us enjoy nature
for one season.
eyes, nature, but improved by our
diligence and skill Get your rake and
go to work."
Nature is God exhibited. In it is
place purposely left for mans hand and
heart and mind. The imperfection of
its work is an invitation to us to become
co-workers with God. This was the
plan in the beginning. sand the Lord
God took the man and put him in the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep
| \ hue A n oy,,'c u
less, then. by cultivation the native
fruits were made larger and sweeter,
and Ewes fair hand enriched the rose
and lily.
The work given man to do is not in
significant. Look at the wild crab
apple-nature's apple. Then look at
the pippin or Ben Davis; mans apple,
or natures apple improved by man.
Bite the crab, acrid and bitter, and then
bite the pippin.
Making the world more beautiful by
the cultivation of flowers is perhaps
one of the lowest ways in which men
are co-workers with God But unques-
tionably it is one of the ways In SER
mons generally, the missionary, the
preacher, the Sabbath-school teacher,
and others engaged in the special work
of saving souls, are mentioned as CO.
workers with God. This is the highest
department of cooperative labor. There
are no seeds producing such flowers and
fruits as the good seed of the sower
sown In the human heart. The Son OF
Righteousness and the dew from the
higher heavens develop spiritual and
J heavenly growth. But there is the
natural as truly as the spiritual, and
Gods law is in both. He created the
heavens and the earth. He has giver
man in each scope in which to work
and it is just as well now and Their
to see the works of smaller value in
which are visible the Divine and human
hands.
Compare by sight, by taste, by touch
the fruit products of nature and thu
same cultivated by the hand of man
and the difference is as great as be
tween little hill and big mountain. Goo
in nature has given man but start
and hidden him go on to perfection.
Not smaller is the room for improve
ment in the field Of beauty and fra
GRANGE, than that of food. The pans,
is the wild violet cultivated. The wilt
rose has but five petals of delcat,
pink color. Who can tell the numpe
of the petals and the shades of colors O
this same rose improved? The contras
between the native and the cultivated
flower of the same species is often S,
! great that we can scarcely believe the,
have one origin. The improvement il
in quality. Soon the woods and prai
ries will shine with their Jewels, bu
no acre of forest or meadow will pos
sess the beauty and the fragrance
J which can be found in one square roc
of cultivated ground
Who questions that the force in ma
4 ture, which swells and opens the bu'
= md causes grass and vine to grow /
Gods? And then who questions agail
that the hand training the vine to it
support; pulling up the weeds, whicl
r ight their betters for the richness o
D The soil; mellowing and moistening tn
| SIouutts 10 tudt Va Ilou VI Woludu. .
q the flower garden is one of partnership
This business of making beauty spot
e on earth is not beneath the Almighty
d nor above man.
The cultivation of flowers is the cult
g eation of happiness. When we look a
q field of wheat or corn, we see tn
# money in it. When we look at gal
y den of vegetables, we see in cabbage
|, and potatoes-food, sustenance; bu
i when we look at flowers, we see dc
o light, pleasure, happiness There is nc
e in them existence, but enjoyment
They emphasize the latter part of tn
s. answer to 'what is mans chief end?
u Thus, though earthly and perishabl
n they lift our thoughts to the Heavenl
/ and imperishable. They give us tn
? idea of loneliness in character. The
&c bespeak the charm of Heaven. "SolC
q mon in all his glory was not arraye
IL like one of these" Then the gift c
e. flowers is one of love. Mems votes ar
% not bought with bouquets. The rose
Is | NOT N coin of hriharv Tho corr,, Mt io