The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-13
THE VINE AND THE SOUL.
Rev. DIR. Fairs Sermon on the Spirit
uaI Analogy Between the Two.

unI Analogy Between the Two.
Rev. DR., Fair, pastor of the Independent
Presbyterian Church, preached yesterday
morning on the spiritual analogies between
the vine and the soul, his text being Ho-
sea, 14:7; "They shall grow as the vine"
1t is the nature of the vine, DR.. Fair
said, to grow upward. 1t springs from
lowly origin, its roots are in the ground,
but embodied in its nature is a mysterious
but Irresistible impulse which draws ii
up toward the skies. Philosophy may not
be able to explain this upward tendency,
a giants hand cannot pluck 1t out Of the
nature of the vine. 1t is the ordination of
God. So man may be lowly and epheme-
raj, but his neture is to grow upward,
too, to find God and an eternal home in
other worlds This is the secret of the
great ethnic religions which have arisen.
They are the upward working of mans
higher nature. We cannot overlook this
religious tendency of the race. 1t Is one
of the historic influences which have tend
ed to the advancement and elevation of
mankind. 1t is not artificial or accident
al, but universal law of mans being
which was ordained by God 1t Is the
echo of the whisper of immortality.
The vine must have a prop, said DR..
Fair 1t reaches out its tendrils to clasp
some support; in the absence of better
help, it clings to the hot, dreary wall or
twnes around the dead and decaying
tree So the soul must have support
This is the origin of those matchless tenn
pies the ancients reared; the delicate trac-
cry of spire and fiuted column was as
trellis on which the soul could lift it.
self up till 1t blossomed at the very pima
Gle. But what Is the true prop of the
soul? 1t is the cross of Christ. Twining
around that cross, the soul reaches its
highest life and bears its sweetest fruit,
and God gathers the noblest vintage. To
grow upward the soul cannot cling to
marble temples or feed on ritualism. But
to fulfill its nature the vine requires con-
tinual nourishment.
So it sends its roots deep down into the
ground When it has extracted all the
help earth can give lifts its head toward
heaven, turns it's face to the sun, the
quiverng of every leaf an inarticulate
prayer, heard and answered by God out Of
His fulness. So the vine grows, two
worlds tributary TO it's growth, earth lay
ing her treasures at its feet, heaven CIV
ing the sunshine and the shower, sprink-
ling its brow nightly with the baptism
of the dew. So if we would thrive spirit
ually, we must be diligent in the use of
the means of grace. Do we not often
allow business or pleasure to encroach
upon the time we should devote to the cul-
tivation of the soul? If any shadow comes
between the sun and the vine its graceful
and lofty head droops to the ground, its
fruits fail and its leaves wither. If we
allow the world to come between us and
>God. the soul is Swallowed, it becomes
barren and unfruitful; it's spiritual life is
dwarfed and stunted. This is a lesson
the Young Christian should heed In the
rush and pleasure of modern life.
The last point Dr. Fair emphasized was
that the vine needs the pruning knife. AS
It's keen edge glitters in the sun, it may
seem merciless. the largest branches may
be ruthlessly cut away to wither on the
ground, and the heart of the vine silently
bleeds. But the husbandman is only
seeking it's good, that 1t may reach a
higher and more fruitful life and attain
perfect beauty and symmetry. Have you
been called to suffer? In the brightness
of your life have you seen the flash of
Gods pruning knife? Has it shorn
through some affection of your soul? Is
the bright flower whitening in the grave .?
1t may be all the energy of your life was
| flowing into the lower nature clustering
around some earthly object, and God
| takes IL away that your affection may be
drawn up and twlned around heaven. TO
attain It's highest, most fruitful ilfe. the
| soul needs TO he rocked by the tempest
| as well as kissed by the sunshine. Be
patient and trustfui. How often parents
| have found God around the coffin of a
| little child! The vine sometimes reaches
| a great age, chambers over the home and
weaves it's crown above the door through
which the members of the family are
, borne TO the grave, one by one. But as
| life is limited; worm is gnawing at its
roots, it bears seed of death in Its bosom.
Not so the soul. 1t shall never die. Trans
planted to heaven, lifting It's head higher
| and higher, twining its glorified affect
| ions around God, it shall continue to grow
in knowledge, holiness and happiness, re-
! fectiog the image of the Creator. wonder
| full paradox, forever approxmating, never
realizing its divine ideal.
Last week Or. Fair was notified of his
| election to preach the commencement SER
mon before the Alabama Polytechnic In
! stitute al Auburn, June II.