St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-06-06

tears away and wooes by the warmth
OF his kindly rays the earth back tt
life and beauty. We watch the swell
ing buds on the trees, and hear the
faint rustic of their unfolding. We
greet the tender green stalk of the
flower as it pushes bravely and eager.
ly towards the sunlight and the blue
sky. And how, we rejoice when thus
the bleakness Of winter gives place
to the unfolding of the new life and
hope of springtime. And it is glad
time, blessed time, when the spring
time breaks in upon the soul, shatter-
ing the letters of it's winter of sin,
and awakening it to new life. new
beauty, new possibilities, and new
and enduring hope.
T HE angels of Heaven watching for
the coming of spring in the huma n
heart rejoice with JOY unspeakable as
they behold the life and power of God
quickening the soul into new expert
ences and new hopes. The earth, with
its myriads of human souls, is Gods
garden plot. 1t is barren and dead in
spots. but, oh, how He longs to see
the dead places quickened into life and
beauty. Think of the garden which
was insensible to the warm rays of the
sun, which was willing to drink in the
gentle and refreshing rain and still lay
cold and black and barren, which re-
ceived the mellowing and enriching
touch of its masters hand, and which,
notwithstanding all that was done for
it, persisted in remaining dead and
barren! How long would human pa
thence tend and care for it and wait for
it to respond to the efforts expended
upon it? But look at that sadder pic
ture suggested by our text of the gar
den spot of the human life which re-
ceives the gladdening warmth of Gods
love, which drinks in all the goodness
which He showers upon the life, which
has day by day the tender thought and
care Of the Master Gardener, and yet
that soul remains as dead and barren
as the hard sands of the desert and as
Indifferent as the adamantine rock.
Angels are watching the garden spot
of God, and when the quickening in
the human heart takes place and the
tender stalk of the new life pushes up
ward toward the warmth of Gods love
and where it can be watered by the
showers of mercy and dews of grace,
then there is joy in Heaven. What
glad time is spring. Oh, how we delight
to pass down the garden path and note
here and there the returning green, the
tiny green sprouts reaching upward
through the dark soil, and the burst
ing bud on tree and bush! The evil
dences of the new life send thrill
through our being. We are glad with
a JOY almost unspeakahle. And in the
regions where angels hover and eager
ly watch the teeming millions of earth.
there is rich, pure joy which only
Heaven can know in all its transcend
ing fullness, when dead soul re-
spends to the quickening touch of God
Jesus.
THE seed, hard and dry in my hand,
is insensible to the possibilities of
ife. AS it lies there l speak to it Of
life, of richer, deeper. fuller expert
ence, of fruitfulness. 1t views compla-
Gently its sleek and shiny dress, it
'eels the fullness of its own present
state and it replies that it is quite con-
:ent. All, say, but you are dead now,
rou don't know what life is. With in
voice the seed asks how |
know that there is life and new and
anger experience which it may enjoy.
And I reply, because have seen other
seeds thrill with life, have watched
them push down into the nourishing
,oil and reach up with their tender
green; have seen the sun smile upon
hem. and heard the rain whisper his
,earful message of love until the ten
Ter green shoot has become the strong
and fruitful stalk, with its graceful leaf
md beautiful flower. And as draw
he attractive picture of life, the little
seed in my hand listens eagerly and
then asks: "And how may I, too,
know what this life is?" ''.Ah, by put
ing yourself in the hands of Mother
Nature and letting her quicken you
With her energy. AS long as you lie by
-ourself you will only be a hard dry
eed, but if you will let Nature exert |
Ter power upon you, the thrill of life |
will burst the narrow prison of your
PRESENT dead condition and you enter |
,pon new and larger and better ex-
stence and experience
EFT the little parable of this tiny
seed speak its lesson to you. oh !
oul! Unless God has quickened you
nto life through faith in Jesus Christ,
.ou are dead-dead in trespasses and
ms! 1 speak to you of life; not the |
fe which is throbbing in your veins
nd giving you sense of JOY and salts
action in the earthly experiences, but
f that soul experience which comes
rom the presence of God there. You
ettle back in the ease and comfort of
our present condition and say you
re quite content. All! but what about
he time when the present experiences
hall have ended, and earth's light and
oy and satisfaction shall have given
lace to the darkness and uncertainty
f eternity? There is 40 life apart
rom God. Jesus said: "Verily, verify,
say unto you, he that heareth My
ord. and believeth Him that sent Me,
Eternal Life, and coIneth not into
1dgment, but hath passed out of
cath into life" How limired and mean
re the possibilities and opportunities
{ a dead soul! That is what death
,eans Contraction, narrow bound
ries. decay and mold. But LIFE!
h, think of what it means in Nature