The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-12-03
Fruitful or Fruitleas.

Fruit is the organic result OF the inner
life of the tree. Il is not tied on. Many o
lazy tree might enjoy sending to the near.
est market and buying o go0dly supply OK
oranges or apples and having them last
ened on at the proper time for fruit to ap..
pear, without further trouble, while it used
its, roots for legs and travelled about the
er, only feeling down into the earth for .
little nourishment occasionally when 1t
could not live any longer without it. But
o tree is not made that way. 1t must
abide in one place. It must be one with
the soil from which it gets its nourishment.
Neither can its branches take a vacation.
You cannot remove q branch from tree
and use it to-day to decorate your house,
and put it back in place tomorrow to 60
on with its legitimate work OF fruit.beaE,
ing. 1t must abide in the tree II u would
bear fruit. II must live through the long,
cold winter with the tree and face the
same blasts that beat upon the other
branches. It must be there in the spring
to drink the first sweet sap that the trunk :
sends up to it, to catch the first spark OF
new life from the heart of the tree and
carry it on to its fiber ends. It must spend
its whole time in getting ready for and
producing the fruit, which is the great and
FINAL purpose Of its presence on the tree.
pearances work thriftily at the task Of pro-
ducing leaves alone, thinking TO hide the
fact OF little fruit by its luxuriant display
of foliage, it finds out its mistake when the
gardener comes by, for he prunes away this
fine smart prodigy Of green, thereby indl.
eating to the branch that here is expected
instead q rosy apple or q luscious pear.
And branch that will not take this hint
is by and by cut of to make room for one
that will.
There is another thought in connection
with this close relationship OF the branch
to the vine. II a branch has been party
torn away. or il it has been engrafted with
the tree, it is most carefully bound to the
main trunk and the edges where It Is joined
sealed with clay or wax that no foreign
substance can get in and interfere with
this close connection between tree and
branch until the growth is fully estab-
lished. There is frequently much talk
when a young Christian comes into the
church and Il united to- Christ, about
worldly amuscmcnts, whether he may O:
things thereafter, and some say yes, and
some say no, and some will leave it to each
individual to decide. Would it not be weu
to apply the gardeners rule here, and safe
" seal the young Christian from ANYTHING
which can come between him and Christ,
until his growth Is fully established, leav-
ing the decision of such questions for him
to take up later when he feels that Christs~
life is in his life, and that whatever infiu:
ence may come about him, whatever III
winds may blow, or harmful substances dy
about. nothing can enter between him and
Christ, because his life is grown into his
Maste's. and become part OF it.
So many Christians never attain 70 q
true undersf arding OF that union with
Christ that He Himself has said is essrE-
tial to growth in the Christian life. Not
that they are not united to Him; lacking
that they could not be Christians. Eat
they often fail to understand the laws that
govern the transmission OF spiritual life,
and thus fail to reach that fulness OF lie
which otherwise might be theirs.
It is evident that our duty in the Chris
tian life is fruit-bcaring, and that our busi-
ness in the matter is to keep ourselves IN
such connection with Christ that our God
given powers may perform their. functions.
It il equally true that we need not wovry
about the results. for He says it is He that
has chosen us for this.great work. and He
win see it through. We have but to ask
"in His name" and He will do it. There
fore. il your fruit does not abound. look
TO the end Of your branch that lieth next
the vine. for it may be some enemy has
stolen in and worn yorr bark away until
the sap is being lost.-Ncw York Mai! sai
Express.