The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-01

q
passions OF any man. You can go into
your mill and smash your looms, or into
your factory and put out all your fires.
but when you go into the fields. how
Nature cannot be hurried, nor should
you. The law OF progress is steadiness-
getting up early in the pnorning and going
at it all the day. The great Divine law
laid down is works and faith, with con-
tented hopefulness that the harvest Will
be more plentiful even than the seed
time
Thus we see God STOPPING, writing
with His finger upon the ground" while
we stand before Him in dumb amaze
ment, and when He lifts Himself and
twithdraws, read what He has written:
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the
precious fruit or the earth and hath
long patience for it, until he receives
the early and latter rain" This Is the
first verse He writes for you in the dust
Still He speaks, still He writes, and
this is the reading OF it: BE not de-
ceived, God Is not Knocked, for whatso-
reap" Again He writes upon the YER
dant earth: He that soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly, and he whicn
soweth bountiful,y shall reap also
bountifully." Once more He writes with
that wondrous finger: ''In the morning
cow thy seed, and in the evening with
hold not thy hand; for thou knowest not
which shall prosper, either this OF that,
or whether they both shall be alike
little you are! You can spur q horse,
with old Mother Earth?
This, then, is my first lesson. Wealth
or wrath avail little; in patient, hopeful
industry lies the reward. We cannot
compel nature to keep pace with our i'm
patience. Man cannot hasten the march
Of the seasons; he cannot drive nature
out of it's own calm, solemn movement;
his own fields keep him at bay. He makes
his dog go out when he likes; his trees
put out their branches without him and
mock his fury.
The solid, everlasting law OF human
life is labor. patience hopefulness, faith,
little to little, a step at a time, time upon
time, and if.you trifle with that law you
will bring yourself into a state Of in
tel1ectual unhealthiness, and reach by
rapid strides unhappy conclusions.
good" The earth is inscribed with terms
like these. Learn from the land how to
live!
So it is in spiritual cultivation. GU
cannot grow character in a week. It not
only cannot be fastened, but sometimes
it is very hard for it to be done at ALL
It is not easy to grow in grace. Circum-
stances are heavily against it, and we
sometimes question our surroundings
The house is small, the income little, the
children many and noisy, the demands
upon time and patience incessant, thu
health shattered, the temperament de-
spondent; how shall we grow like Jesus
under such conditions? God Himself
only knows!
But be thankful, that the bruised reed
is not broken; that you, though faint
can still pursue; that though you are
weak of limb, yet your eye is fixed on
things above, and that God knows the
desire of your heart
The path of the just Is not one fash
ing blaze Of glory; it is as the shining
light, which shineth more and more unto
the perfect day.
Walk by the same rule, mind the same
thing, persevere, so on, never give up,
never stand still till the Master ap-
pears
Be this your purpose; God will do the
rest!