The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-18

pdSSetH all uuIlan UNDERSTANDING.
Two Kinds of Seed.
Let me tell you what Jesus Christ
can do for you. In every child's ma
ture there are two kinds Of seed. One
of these Is capable of growing into q
tree of righteousness, and the other Is
capable of growing into tree of wick
edness and sin. Now. when Jesus
takes charge of a child's nature it is
the good seed that grows, and then the
child's life starts well, and when the
child becomes a man or woman that
life is happy one and a blessing to
the world. Children, these words may
be very hard for you to grasp. but
think l can explain my meaning by a
very simple illustration. hold in my
hand an apple. Where did it come
from? "Oh. I know" says a young
boy sitting in that class behind his
teacher. MY mother last summer
took me to the country. While | was
there l used to visit a farmer who had
a farm just back Of our hotel. There
in his field he had a great big apple
orchard. The farmer used to let me
climb those trees and pick the, apples
which grew upon the branches. They
We're awfully big trees. Some of them
were so big that had to get ladder
to climb them. Some of them were so
big that after l had climbed them |
found four or five birds nests in the
same tree. Some of them were SO big
that my mother used to come cut on
hot days and hang her hammock under
the branches and there do her sewing
and knitting"
That answer is right, my boy. An
apple grows upon Il branch in an
orchard. But where did those big
trees come from which produced the
apples? "Oh, do not know answers
the boy. Il suppose they have always
been there. Why, mother said that
some of those apple trees were forty
or fifty years old. Some of them We're
as old as my grandfather and grand
mother. and they are awfhlly old"
Yes, my boy, you are right again.
Some apple trees live to be very. very
old. But those trees did not just grow
Every tree had beginning. Ii you
cut open the apple which hold in my
hand you will find in the center of it
an apple core. Right in the center of
the apple core you will find a little
brown seed. Now. children, If you
will take this apple seed and plant it
in the ground in the springtime that
seed will burst open and begin to grow.
The little roots of that seed will begin
to grow down. A little green shoot
like grass will begin to grow up. Then
the green grass will change after
awhile into stem. The stem will
change after awhile into tree trunk.
From that tree trunk will grow the
branches. From the branches will
grow the leaves and the blossoms.
From the blossoms will afterwaril
grow the apples. The apple tree does
not come forth from nothing. The APP
pie tree first grows from the little seed
like that which I hold In my hand.
Christ the Guide.
Now, q little child's life can be COM
pared to seed. How? Bhcause you
know seed does not grow unless it is
rightly planted in the right kind of
ground. Weeds win grow anywhere
without any care. So If the good seed
spoke OF just now does not get cared
for and looked after it will not grow.
but the bad seed will. and your lives
will become like weeds good for moth
ing. Now. IL you ask Jesus to look aft
er you and take charge of you. out of
your nature can grow the great trees
of righteousness which will bear forth
good fruit II you will only let the roots
Of your heart grow about the rock Of
Calvary, upon which once stood the
Saviour's cross. Do you not see, chill
dren, how important 1t Is that you give
your life to Christ now lie from your
little selves must come all that is good
or all that is bad?
Little children should come to Christ
soon, very soon. Their Christian ia
Tiers and mothers will not be able
much longer to shield them from the
evil temptati lions as they have been able
to do. When my little boys and girls
were at home could do what pleased
with them. could say Susan or
Gertrude or Thomas De Witt" or
nFrank" for | have four children
wish you would not associate with that
little boy you were with this morning"
And If one of my little girls should say.
why, papag' would answer: II do
not think he is nice little boy. I heard
his mother call to him today to come
into the house, and he answered,
won't come. And when his mother
went after him he lay right down in the
street and began to kick and scream
and bite. Now, no good little boy will
ever act like that, and do not want
You to go with him. e.
But, children, though may have
been able to guard and shield and pro
tect my little girl while she was at
home, there came a momentous day
when she went beyond my direct care
and guiding influence. That day first
came when we sent her to school. 1t
was sad time for the parental heart
when our oldest child had to pack her