The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-27

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long ana seemed To- be the hope Of the
fruit gathering Of another summer. And
all this pruning is done in the cherries
winter.
But the sap and life of the vines have
gone down into the roots and left these
long branches of tAe summers growth
dry and almost dead. II they are to be
cut away, now is the time when there will
be no loss to the life and yigor of the
/ vine: and when the spring comes, the
sap will rise and find its channels in the
few short branches we have left, and
there will be a new growth and a better
fruitaSe for the pruning.
Pruning is not one of the new things
men have learned to do. Far back in
the ages, before the days of Moses, the
vine-dresser wnetted his krrife and pruned
his lI,xuriant vines. In the laws of Moses
there were six years In which to sow
the field and prnne the vineyard. and
then a Sabbath year OF rest for field and
vines, when no man should gather fruit oi
his vine untressed The untitled held
and the unprunel vineyard would teach
them to remember the Sabbath day. and
the God wro CANNED their love and ser
vice.
It was in a land Of vineyards and vine
dressers that Jesus lived and found MS
parallels on every hillside. He who said (
am the true vine and my Father IS the
h,rsbantlmant" said also, And every
hranc;, that beareth fruit he purseth 1t
that it may bring forth more fruit me
discipline of our heavenly Fathers prlln-
ing seems stern and painful to us. But 1t
is rrly that which is bearing fruit that
IS SO pruusd and tried That which bear
eth no fruit, and hath no lie 1nat Is
useful and good, lne rooteth up ana cast
eth out That Which hath any NE ana
hears any fruit that is sweet TO MS
n a ~
that it may bear more fruit -tefAsrai
Presbyterian
The high place of vain worldly and god
less society is only a graphic lllustra t1oh
of all the worlds high places. Among the
THE eHIGH PLACES hig h p places
There the idols
of the heather were set up and wor-
.hipped. They were the rearing OF pride
and seIfisslness and seasuaIty- ana the
world mas been. from the hundlng OF
Babel down to the present ttnies palioills
temples and high places full OF tfie same
character and full Of the same shsiSita-
tions. absorbed and graduated
Ambition makes the high places, ana
flashes its light on the same eNaElea
levels. Whatever leads and inspires lAe
General world leads the crowd UP the same
stems 10 the same high places. Whe1e iaoiS
of the heather are worshipped ana paul
tonnage. Every mans experience ana oo-
servataon will furnish them without NUN
Der. Law, medicine, philosophy ece.e-
siasticisrn. and everything that interests
man show the same thing.
On the other hand, it is marvellous 40"
the Holy Scriptures are set against t1ui, ,l
ride and se!fshness from the beglnhEi,S-
The high place of Babel scattered Tue
human family. And over and over AGAIN
we are told, how the Lord views tne
nror1d afar off. Notably, Isaiah teils-us
that the day of the Lord is upon every
one that is nigh and lifted UP, IN OF OUT
Of society, or the church
The whole walk and teachlns Oh uul
T ord is against human pride And HIS
svmna tf1ies are with the meek ana lo"is.
In our daily life we waste our tl'lie n,
high places and going with the great anu
distinguished We enjoy the s"eei 50
and divinest experiences of life ana .lie
most inspiring moments in the com
pany of the poor, the meek. and the IN i
iTisting11i.tled, these the brethren Oh our
I ,ord.-southern Churchman.
4 prominent and useful brother. on
hainr asked to name a man who wouiu
TO a certain large