The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1892-05-25
Spiritual Lessons from the
Spring-Time
BY S. NJ. keller.

! The Sprlng-tlme mas lessons tor
all. What we do in spiritual mat
tiers must be done in season.
Whether in the city or the country,
whether in a dark court or in the
broad sunlight, everything that has
vegetable life reaches up toward the
sun. No one lives in such a dark
corner of vast city but that some
where between the stones or beside
the bricks or on some solitary tree
there will be the tokens of life in
the swelling bud, the shooting grass,
or even the vigorous weed.
So there come times in the expert
ence of the soul when there is move
ment toward good, and then the
Spirit calls men to life. 1t is the
Spring time of the soul.
The stir in the vegetable world is
emblematic of the change in the
heart when the Spirit brings etern-
al truth before the soul. The force
in nature is a silent, unseen one
so in the heart God by his Spirit
works mighty changes, almost i'm
perceptible, because they take place
so quietly.
The freshness of life in plants
and trees is a type of the result of
the work of the Holy Spirit. No
matter how bare the trunk, the
limbs and the twigs of tree may
appear, when the soft airs come
from the South, when the sap r .ses
from the earth, the apparently life
less tree takes on a new form pres
emily. The buds open to the sun,
the vital sap spreads to the extreme
ends of the twigs, and soon the
whole tree is covered with beauty
The little plant may be brown and
dry. Soon a green bud appears,
the life-giving fluid courses through
the plant, and lol a new shoot ap-
pears. Thus divine truth falls upoO
listless ears, sinks into a drowsy
Raind, arouses attention, produces
thought, causes action toward the
right way, and the man awakes to
life and actively puts forth signs of
new spiritual life.
The aim of vegetable life is first
the bud, then the flower, and then
the fruit. And its course is ever
onward toward the end. Even the
useless weeds have greatly produc-
tive power. Last Summer the
writer attempted to destroy bur
dock plant in his lawn. The large
branches were destroyed and every
token of blossom removed. But
still even the bare main stalk threw
out little shoots an inch or two lone
and thus bore the unsightly seed
vessels
If odious weeds undertake to be
fruitful, how much more should all
useful plants be ready to bear good
fruit? The rapid rush of each
plant toward fruit bearing may he
a type of what should go on In the
souls of men. Since the time of
growth is short, the more vigorously
does life in it hasten to its natural
end
The length of time in which we
may be permitted to cultivate our
souls here may be short. How
earnest therefore should every soul
t OF us be in making speedy spiritual
growth2
Time lost in the Spring-time can
seldom be recovered later in the
:, season. The late planted seeds
may bear good fruit, but are more
likely to be cut off before any ma.
ture fruit can be formed. Youth /:
mans Spring-time. No youth car
+ afford to waste the morning of life
I in ldleness as to spiritual growth
/ If one has wasted these early years
T of life, how slow is the growth il
later life And if a man be deter
J mind to bear fruit, though it bt
D late IN life, the tree will bear proofs
of its want of early trsining in The
! right way. No one coming TOWARD
: the sunlight of Gods love in late
years can become as strong anC
r consistent soldier of Christ as i
s he had begun in early childhood.
Still the Spring-time may give
y encouragement to those who are
late In starting for the spiritua
! kingdom. Sometimes q late bloom
f ing tree continues to hold its frui
, late in the season, and natures it
7 as if the late Autumn should Civ,
fair weather to ripen the otherwise
o. too late fruit
. Spring-time then is the peculia
r season for calling the young to seel
the Kingdom of Christ. Chris
V wants the children to be his, t.
2 grow up in his house, to be fed a
! the altar by wise men, just as b,
: di7coursed with the doctors in tn,