Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-09-21
Calrnage
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. ID. d.

LoS AhSeieS, Cai., sept 1O-IniS
timely sermon, appropriate to the sea-
son OF the ingathering Of fruits, brings
to us breath Of the vineyards. The
text is Canticles 1, G, "But mine own
vineyard have not kept"
Yes. l have seen neglected vine
yard. No man can fully understand
what my text means unless be has
roamed through one and has seen the
rabbits scurry through the weeds two
feet high and has lifted up the long
unpruned vines heavy laden with un,
developed grapes. immature through
Lack OF care, and has seen how the
suckers have shot out from under the
crowns as vipers sapping away the
strength OF the vines and Jet, as q
rule, bearing no fruit Yes, have
been through such a vineyard. I have
wandered through one accompanied
by an old vine grower. 1 have seen
him pathetically lift up vine after vine,
as a physician might look at the gan
grened limb of little child, which de-
composition has been caused by the
malpractice of an ignorant doctor. and
have heard him say: "Shamel Shame!
1t Is perfect shame to let this vine
yard go to waste. why, even after this
neglect, there are at least sixty pounds
OF good grapes upon that one vine
alone. Shame, shame. TO destroy such
a vineyard as this growing upon such
rich SOIL" Thus we went through
acres upon acres OF these neglected
vines.
Perhaps you would Hike to know how
we came to see this fine vineyard going
TO waste. had turned my steps home
ward. My summer vacation In south
ern California was about ended. The
duties OF busy pastorate were calling
me back to the city. With n compan-
ion, was taking a short cut through
one Of the very rarely travelled can
yons, when suddenly, as night overlook
us, we came upon a deserted farm, or
ranch. 1t was in one OF the garden
spots Of the world. For nearly twenty
years its owner had lived there, battling
against consumption. A few months
before we arrived the end had come.
and his pain racked body was placed
in the dust from whence IL came. For
some years before he died all his
energies were evidently exhausted In
physical struggle for mere existence.
There were the broad fields stretching
away, practically uncultivated. There
were the beautiful trees near TO his
ranch home just as nature had grown
them. There were the deserted rooms
Of his dwelling. with one of the walls
fallen in upon his empty bed. The
books and weekly periodicals were still
lying around. There were even some
OF his cancelled checks lying upon the
floor. There was a farm, or ranch, OF
500 acres. BOO OF which were tillable,
with their orchards and fields and vine
yards. but with no hand to care for
them. The doves. the quaIls. the rab-
bits, the bees, were everywhere holding
high carnival. As we lay for a few
nights under those trees we could hear
the wildcats snarling calls and the
fox's banks and the coyotes yells as
they were starting out to hunt their
prey. 1t was n beautiful, but a sad,
sad. sad place. For this place, like
Victor Hugo's Nptre Dame, had
spirit. We could SEQ moving every
where the fraIl, sick fern OF the late
owner. who. on account Of his physical
ailments. had been compelled to neglect
those fields and orchards and vineyards.
A Nexssstea vlnsyard.
There might have been dome excuse
for the sick man who owned this
neglected vineyard Of which I have
spoken to have neglected his ryine-
yard but there n no excuse. for us
to neglect our spiritusl vineyards, az
the author OF Gsatlelss sdsclssesI the
church Of God hnhs,beau ,doinR. y. Now
as We all. each fan dsli9ht to eat th4
rich. luscious grspsg NJ deb 'srs placed !
upon our dining room tables. thought
this morning I would draw my SER
monte illustrations from the vineyard
industries OF The world Nylcompari-
son will not bs- found an- the grape
vines which some sof sus raise in our
country homes. where we build a little
arbor In our back yards and there
allow few vines to grow over It
under which we Zee to escape the ia-
tense heat Of the midnoon SUM- But
Will draw. my tllustra tons from the
grape Industries OF southern CalIfor-
MIA and the Holy Land. where grape
growing Is business upon an en-
larged scale, and where the vines. laid
out in long rows 8 by 8 or 8 by 10,
stretch themselves over hundreds and
sometimes thousands upon thousands
OF acres, as the cornfelds spread them
selves over the prairies OF Kansas or
the wheatfelds grow In the Dakotas.
Many Of the oriental cities Ike Sa.
maria were nothing more or less than
great centers for this grape Industry.
The plains of Abel Keramin. were
sometimes called "the Plains of Vine.
yards" The grapes Of, the valley. OF
Eshcol not only made their vines clnsA- !
Der over all the hiIlsides- and the low.
lands between Hebron ana 1 K adests. |
but those grapes were famous for their
size and sweetness as well as for their
quantity. Thus we have not only
great industry from, which to draw
our sermonic comparisons, but we
also have the grepes, which formed
one OF the chief industries Of the
Hebrew race. mine own VINEYARD
have not kept should offer q vital
theme for al Christians.s *
The words which introduco my text |
are: my Wother's children are angrsI
with me. They made me keeper. Of the
vineyards. but mine own vineyard have
not kept" That is the word picture |
or son who has been left the executofl
OF his fathers estate. The last sick. |
ness has come Ths funeral is over.
The VIII has been read. The will goes
something thuswise: This il my last |
Will and testament. II I should, b
called suddeniy away. I leave ali my
vineyards to my children, share and