The Russellville Democrat., 1893-06-22
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fRehearsed by Miss Matte Epps on
Children's Day at Ball Hill church June
IL, 1881
The Church saith in Canticles
"They have made me the keeper OF
vineyards, but my own vineyard
have ! not kept" SO there are
great many christians now who
spend their chief time in looking af-
ter others while their own vineyard
goes to waste. They are raising
very fine grapes on the other side Of
the fence, but the property does not
belong to them, nor the grapes. We
know christians who are lean as
skeletons in religious experience,
who are running hitber and thither,
looking after Sunday schools, call
ing conventions, attending meetings
They are in everlasting ferment
about other people, but have no
anxiety about themselves. They
cut the woola off some body else's
sheep, and spin it on somebody else's
loom, for somebody else's back.
Meanwhile, their own souls are
shivering to death.
Now, the first thing for one to do
is, TO take care of his or her heart.
How was it that the old saints, with
less opportunity than we have, were
better men? They had more time
for contemplation. Christians now
seldom sit down to think. 1t is
drive, push and pull. Their only
quiet time is when they are on an
express train, going at thirty five
miles an hour, watch in hand, won
dering why they don't go forty. Just
before communion they feel called
upon for special self-examination,
and so they take the ten minutes in
which they are walking to church to
think what miserable offenders they
have been. Now you have no right
to give so much time to your neigh
bors' crops that you let your own
suffer. Beside, if your own piety be
thin, your work will be inefficient.
If we have been much with Christ,
and have deep personal experiences,
we Will do more good in one month
than with a shallow experience we
could do in ten years. One half the
Christian effort of to-day is mere
CAB. The world sees straight
through it, while some man who
says but little, yet feels much, gets
hold of the heart of an audience, and
rouses, and melts, and subdues, and
agonizes it at will Rickety and
unsafe machinery always make a
great racket. Christians seeking no
adyacement in personal piety are of
ten very demonstrative, as steam
boats at the wharf blowing off steam.
A man of deep religious expert
ence is always effective. We care
not how poor his voice is, or how
uncomely his countenance, or how
awkward his gestures, or how shah
by his clothes, or how lame his
grammar. By taking good care of
our vineyard, we learn how to help
others in the care of their vineyard.
If you cannot raise grapes in your
garden, you cannot raise them in
mine.
Friends, the Lord of the vineyard
will after awhile appear at the gate.
The day of vintage will come. When
the grapes in golden times were
gathered, there was sporting through
all the land, ana the sound of must
cal instruments. What kind of clus
tiers shall we be able to show, at last,
in our vineyard? Will they be stunt
ed and sour, or ripe and large? If
faithful in the planting, and the
trimming, and the watching, vintage
will be glorious. Let the messengers
of God put the full clusters into the
wine press, and then, with all the
banqueters of heaven, the instru
ments chorded to the right pitch, we
will drink new wine in our Fathers
kingdom God forbid that ours
should be the lamentation; 'They
made me the keeper of vineyards, but
my own vineyards have | not kept.
Smiths Pain Oil-positive, pure;
Fvarv ache and main will cure.