Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-09-22


more than money You inherited his
spiritual vineyard. You have inner
tied his exam be of Christian life
well lived Yuu have inherited the ex-
ample of the JOS AMI peace which come
- q noble Christian man who, In every
word he speaks and IN every deed he
does. speaks aud lives for Cod Am
wrong in declaring that the vineyards
which have come TO you are Inherited
vineyards: Your inherited spiritual
vineyards are AZ old as the prayers
your father made on the day he first
knclt az the communion Of the Lords
supper. They are rs old rs the pray
"rs lie made Oh the day he dedicated
you 10 Cod when YOU were baptized ut
the church affairs. They are as old as
the prayers lie made for you at the
family altar on the day you left the
old homestead They are as old as the
blessing and hcncdiction lie gave when
lie put his trembling hand upon your
head an the day he died. when hc said,
My boy gave you 10 God when YOU
We're born: | give YOU to Cod now that
| must leave You To stand before the
Judgment sent Of Christ" oh. my
friends. what II spiritual blessing has
been Yours. Your gospel vines were
not planted Inst week or last year.
You have an Inherited gospel vineyard.
You have inherited those vineyards dl-
rcctly from Your fathers and mothers
Christian lives and consecrated home
You cannot If you would. and you
would not II you could get away from
this vital. spiritual life giving doc
trine
We do not inherit our gospel vines
alone We also inherit Il vast acreage
Of rich. uncultiyated soil, upon which
wc should plant new vineyards and
enlarge our grape producing regions.
Ia other words. no Child has right
TO he content with the work which his
forcfathrrS accomplished Each new
generation has greater opportunities
for doin" good than had the genera
lions which preceded IT, Therefore 1t
is your duty and mine to he continu-
ally going ahead aud doing larger ana
..randcr and nohlcr work than did our
fathers aud mothers. We should profit
by their mistakes as we'll as successes.
10 speak hgurativcly, by standing upon
their broad shoulders we should lift
our heads higher than they did. There
fore WE should have Il larger horizon
for our gospel vision. Let me illus
tratc my thought from the vineyard
Industry Of southern california.
Planting New Vineyards.
am vineyard grower. The time
Of the annual in.allirring Of grapes is
past Nou are also a vineyard grower.
W. have been close friends FOR years.
Having few weeks To rest w before
the january ana February pruning.
YOU come to make me a visit With
great pride take You through my
vineyards. Ia show you their richness.
| say Yes. those are line vines My
father planted them nifty years ago.
He lived here and died here These
vines were his one thought. He put
his best likelihood into their develop
mrnt" ON the way back 10 the house
We climb II hill ana point ont 10 you
tn" extent of my property do you
see all those vines AZ our feet? Wen,
they are all mine. DO you see those
posts running down from yonder hills
clear into The center of the valley 10y
those broad fields: Well. all that land
j. mine. DO You see those fields 10 the
east. ana that iutting of rock yonderf
Well. all that land is mine There is
no soil IN all this region which is richer
and better than those broad fields OF
mine "Oh." you say TO me. then
your father only cultivated small
part OF his ranch The vines were only
planted in small area of the land
which lie owned"
Yes" reply. While father lived
the vineyard growers did not know as
much about grape raising ms we do
now our fOrcfathers did not have the
system we have. Wire fences were
not invented III that time They did
not know az much about pruning and
culiivating Besides that this country
was So sparsrly settled fifty years ago
that ii would have been impossible 10
have gathered enough workmen ut
one time Ia have picked the grapes ON
the vines when they We're ripe. That
work has to be done very quickly
Then. ii my father had been able TO
pick all these grapes there We're SO few
people living in southern California at
that time tlnlt there would have been
no markets Tor the grapes after they
had been picked Thus my father only
planted tenth part of his ranch into
vineyards" Then you say. but con
dilionS have changed. Why do you not
change: Why do you continue TO let
all these fields lie idle because your
father did; lie had reason for this
fallow land You have none DO you
not realize that God holds you 10 ac-
counI mol only for taking care of your
fathers vineyards. but also for plant
lug new vineyards of your ownf" All.
you are right You are right ann not
only Ia be held accountable to God for
carrying OF the good work which my
Christian father aud mother did. but
| am also ia he held accountable TO