The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-10-11
Thouqhts On the Tonic

Our Saviour considered this topic
worthy CT a place in his farewell ad-
dress. In the fifteenth chapter OF John,
using the familiar and beautiful meta
phor OF the vine and its branches. Jesus
spoke TO the disciples on the subject,
Fruitful or FruitIess 90
It had been only few days since the
blasting Of the barren fig tree. Though
covered with leaves. this tree had Of
fered no fruit TO its hungry master Why
1t was barren We do not know. The fig
IN Palestine usually appears simultau-
euosIy with the leaves OF before. Per
haps this tree was not rooted in soil
that was suitable. But when q Chris
tian - Of fair appearance. covered with
the leaves Of religious profession. ordi-
nances endured, orthodox creed. outward
morality, 3flC ia position, or great ac-
Jivity II the church, still bears no sweet
and iuscIous fruits for Christ. the rea-
sen for il is not far 10 seek. He is not
rooted II Christ by q living faith. He
is apart from Christ" Often the out
ward form Of goodness comes between
is and the living Christ. and paraIyzes
our power for service. as in the case Of
the Pharisees Men may build the fair
est statue, but only Christ can give
life Much less then can the branch
severed from Tie vine or only meChani-
cally tied on without q vital union 10 al
low the sap to flow in as Il hangs there
withered and dead Itself bear any ius-
cious cluster Of grapes. Alasi how many
witEered, decayed, fTuitless, lifeiess
branches there are in ali our churches,
The consequence OF fruitIessness is
very solemn. It Is much more than
mere matter OF reproach not TO bear
fruit Il IS q matter Of life and death
Oar Lord said, BY their fruits We shall
know them" That means If We have no
fruit or bad fruit We are none Of His
that We have never truly believed. The
curse pronounced On the fig tree was
eternal barTenness- Sins here harden
into the habit OF sin. and in eternity
are crystallized into sinful states He
that is filthy let him be filthy sIilI''
forever Oh, reader; how wiz it sound
10 you II you shall hear as your sen
teuce, He was barren; Ie. him be bar
Ten still q good forever" But the ces-
satien OF its Hfe-woTk was death TO the
4g tree II withered in a night. And
barrenness OF good means the death Of
the soul hero and hereafter When the
master shall speak the fearful words.
Depart from me, ye cursed. into the
eternal FIRE" he viii give. as the crime
for which the doom is pronounced. the
sin Of doing nothing: "Inasmuch IS ye
did i not
Turning TO the brighter side, and
thinking OF the fruitfuIness. let Us notice
q thought which explains the solemn
penalties upon barrenness- All the fruit
Of a vine grows upon its branches. none
or the bare stem That means. On Won
derful thought that 10 you and ne have
been given the supreme honor and the
solemn responsibility OF bearing the
fruit which shall represent Christ's OWL
lie 70 the world we are nv wit
nesses. Just as The merchant sells his
goods through numerous statesmen. as
Z government is represented at foreign
capitals by ambassadors. as our foreign
missionaries are seeking 20 spread their
concept Of the gospel BY training na-
tive workers, as the brain expresses it
SELF through the movements Of the hand
even 50, aye and more closely, is Christ
our Lord represented by you and me. his
witnesses, ambassadors. servants, breth-
rem, members Of His body II Christ's
love, pity, tenderness, forgiveness are
known we must tell il: If Chrigt'g Cos
Eel OF atonement, resurrection. saliva
tor is known we must preach It; II
Christ's power 70 make human life
beautiful, pure. unseIfish. strong, joyful
victorious is TO be proved we must live
that life. But does not this put ChrIst's
work in jeopardy Is it not a great
risk 10 hang such mighty issues on such
weak shoulders as ours Are We not all
In danger OF being fruitIess2 No: Christ
and the weakest man can take the
world. We need only 20 be faithful And
slI Who love the Lord truly, as all must
who receive hiEl as Saviour. will keep
His words faithfully. II you and / do
not love Him well enough 70 be earnes
IA His service we shall be discarded a
dead branches. and others, more
worthy than we. viii take our place
Never fear that Christ viii fail 10 have
wholehearted servants. Elijah cried out
N despair: u have been very Jealous
for the Lord. and J. even /, only am
left" But God answered. I have left
seven thousand undefled by idoIatry.
Woe TO the unfaithful the barren. bqJ
the work viii 90 on without them
Jesus also tells Us h0W We may be-
come fruitful. At the moment we trust
Christ as Saviour the Holy Spirit enters
our hearts. The more completely we
yield ourselves TO Him the more fully
the Spirit viii take possession, till in
some rare lives Christ IS all n all.
The closer we are 10 Christ and the
more We are filed with His spirit, the