The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-06-23
EPWORTH LEAGUE.
Topic For the Week beginning Juno
%, "Spiritunl Crowth"-Tcxt,
Mark iv, 20-32.

The old miracle of seed time and
harvest is being again performed before
our open eyes. We see the transforma-
tion of bare hillsides into verdure clad
billows of beauty. Bare seeds are sown,
and we watch the breaking graves of
soA heaved with mysterious life beneath
until the blade, the bloom, the fruit
appear. We watch the whole process as
we have watched it all the years past
with keen eyed wonder and bated
breath. Yet we have never been able to
discover the power that works in all the
process nor to detect the hidden worker
who produces the open wonder before
our sight.
Last night in prayer meeting a
young lady aroso-shall we call her girl
or woman? She was on that boundary
line so fascinating between the two
girlhood merging into sweeter, deeper
mysteries of womanhood, eyes kindling
with new visions, lips parted with new
speech, cars alert for new music, heart
beating with expectancy, feet pressing
new thresholds of opportunity. She
arose without invitation and said SIM
ply. modestly, bravely, 81 wish to do
all possibly can for Jesus the coming
year. That was all But how much
1T meant! The seed Of years gone by,
watercd with prayerful tears by father
and mother, watched with heart longing
unutterable fer long months, had sprung
to life. The springtime had come. In
that life there had been no lapse into
sinful dissipation and agonizing repent
ance, no special altar service with i'm
Of will. All these are good in cases
which need them. In her case there
was no such need. In babyhood she was
dedicated to God in baptism and daily
prayed over, and from earliest infancy
the spirit life cared for as tenderly, pa
tiently, skillfuliy, as the little body was
nOurished and nursed. From physical
weakness she had been developed to
robust, young, healthy womanhood. In
spirit she had been as carefully reared
The Bible was to her Gods truth, to be
.,nown, believed and practiced. Jesus
was her Saviour. She belonged to Him,
was an object of His constant care and
assured of His protection, love and di.
rection. Her duty and privilege were to
lSrc, trust and help Him. All this had
been terminating, growing with her
expanding intellect and increasing pow
ers of body and soul, until now it burst
the busl; and showed the blade of
new existence in upper air and sun
shine.
So grows the kingdom Of God in the
human soul. Plant with patience, wa
ter and cultivate with diligence, trust
Sad !6.isl. thai ScQd seed --alcpd snrl- soil
time into blade and ear and harvest
The mower is unseen, the Life Glvcr
still invisible. but the growth reveals
Him near, and the old miracle OF HE
continues with unabated attractiveness
in the lives of His people.
blossoms must bloom of themselves.
| To force open the calyS and hasten the
towering is to ruin all. If it blooms al
all, it must be by inner impulse ana
not from outward force. PICK open INC
bud, and you spoil the rose,
A dozen seeds share the same home II
q handful of sell. and spring into lea
nnder the same sun rays ard breeZe'
The same dewdrops and showers waite
them. vet 10 two are alike In lear o
root or flower. What mysteflonsnes
lies herel Who dreamed that each Q
these brown seeds held such power
thought and will and feeling as to Sc
lect from soil and sun and air ana mos
ture lust the elements adapted TO az
velop its own plan? What wisdom
Manning and executing the deslgf
Surely seed is wonderful think'
:. and most skillful worker. Do see'
think and feel and choose!
I How seeds grow, who can tell! no
q souls grow each one can know som
t what if his own soul grows and
Il watches its development. What can
d lilv know of the thoughts and feelin
/, of a rose except as it watches itself a
!, sunposes the other to be like itT See
d have impulses; so have souls Ro'
l. meet stones they cannot penetrate
h find also soil with elements they C
Is take and in their inner structure char
re from mineral to vegetable. How u
j. do it, we don't know and don oeh'
as they know. But they do 1t.
re Souls have impulses, meet obstacI
Ga find also material for making manh
ho and womanhood. But with these tn
RI. ;s q consciousness net found in the sc
it souls know good and bad feel the g
pc of approval and pang of self sccrn' r
,c, ize the duty CT right doing, have p
m. or in themselves to make plans
growth and to carry them ont. L
cant make the soil, the sunshine
showers of moral and spirit LIE.
they can determine how they VIII 9
in them and what they will make
them Oh, soul is wonderful IN