The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-09-03

L
| things of this life. And do not thinE
the lilies are speaking to your heart
Gods message as you think beautiful
and sentimental thoughts of God and
nature and pirate about Gods care and
love universal. The lilies speak a heart
searching message. It Is one man does
not like to hear. it is one which his heart
is not sensitive to understand Think
you that you have heard the message
when you rush back to the city and
plunge with greater eagerness than be-
fore after the material things of this
life, and worry and fret because they
do not come faster, or become discour-
aged and morose because of the misfor-
tunes and priyations of life? Think ron
that you have heard the message when,
the fields behind you and the pavement
OF the city's streets beneath your feet.
you forget God and the lilies and seek
first man and mammon, and care not so
much about method as that the coveted
goal is reached2
HE proof that the message has
been heard and understood is
found III the seeking first the Kingdom
OF God and His righteousness, and PROV
ing the truth of Gods assertion that
all else needed for this life shall be add
ed ANnd as the beautiful dress and
fragrance of the lily which God so free
~ gives it make it a creation Of exqui-
site perfection, SO man in character and
life would be as beautifully clothed
and provided for as the lily if he put
God. and His righteousness first and
mans desires and seeming interests
second. Man robs himself day after
cay because he does not learn the mes
sage Of the lilies of the field. Our lily
of the field might, if her Wis1 and pur-
pose were not so firmly rooted in the
place where God had planted her, roam
the world over seeking the softest of
silks and satins. choosing the daintiest
of eolors which man could obtain, living
to crafty every selfish wish and am
bition, and she would fail, mfserably
fail. There would be no admiriHg
glances at her beauty, there would be
no fragrance in the air. How she would
rob the world and God! And man is
doing that very thing. He talks OF
Gods care and love and yet he does not
know what it means, because unlike
the lily he is not willing to abide in
Gods will; he is not willing to fill the
place God intended; he is rebellious at
conditions and privations; he is bound
to have his own will and seek his own
way The lily speaks of sweet, simple
faith in God, of obedient surrender to
all the forces which will make for splen-
did growth and glorious fruitage, of pa
tiene waiting through every experience
in life. whether it is the heat of tempta
ton or the darkness and chill Of pIiYa-
tons hour: whether it is the glad sun
shine and refreshing shower of prosperi-
ty or the prostrating wind and hail of
It is the sweet. abiding trust
in God which brings that peace and JOY
which passeth all understanding
HE bright-faeed lily is the fruitage
4 of that faithful plant from which
It sprung We behold the lily and for
get all about the patient growth of the
parent plant, Of its 1ife-giying energy
which was put forth and made possible
the stalk and bud and flower. The lily
is evidence CT the life and growth be- A
hind it. The flower stands for the
beauty of Christian graces in the
human life-of Christ-like love, of pa
Hence, OF unselfsh service, of truthful
ness, of purity of heart and life, Of
and many other qualities
Of character. Such cannot be put
,orth in their splendid towering at
.ractiveness unless the plant which
produces such fruitage is there to
grow them. Gods Word tells us that
he fruit Of the Spirit is in all good
aess and righteousness and truth"
The flowers of character of which we
awe been speaking can only be grown
Is there is present the viYifying and
;ructifying power of Gods presence.
As we'll might the lily boast that it
sould grow itself without the plant as
or man to imagine that he can grow
he beauties of character which shall
abide apart from the indWel1ing Christ
Abide in Me, and I in you AS the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, ex.
;ept it abide in the vine; no more
an We, except We abide in Me. If
nan abide not in Me, he is cast forth
Is branch, and is Withered; and men
gather them and cast them into the
ire and they are burned"
A ND the lily of the field in the light
= Of Christ's solemn words declares
o the soul Of man that If he does not
oelong to Christ, if the regenerating
,oWer of the Son of God is not felt, if /
Ills life is not flowing through the
human life, that that life is dead and |
as far as the eternal and en-
Turing things of God are concerned. |
That flower is the glory of the plant, |
md God has declared that He has |
reated man for His glory. But how |
ouId the lily apart from the plant re-
zeal the glory Of that plant, and how
fellowship with God manifest and re-
zeal the glory Of God? Jesus Christ |
anne into the world to reveal God to
nen, to manifest forth His glory, and /
lie accomplished His mission only as
Ie faithfully and persistently kept His
lace In the Fathers will He bore I
he beautiful fruitage of a God-Iike
,haracter And the only way for man
o grow the fruits of Christ-like-I