Milford chronicle., 1907-01-04
Ca(rY1aq
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, DID.

whether the thlnS be bad business. q
Wildcat speculation, a foolish invest
ment, a dangerous friendship or sin
full habit The text is Matthew vii. 49,
do men gather grapes of thorns or
figs of thistles?'
An absurd question or course a
man cannot gather grapes of thorns or
figs from thistles any more than a sit
ting hen can hatch out a brood of
twenty chickens when she has only
half dozen eggs in her nest. We have
learned that nature has its laws and
that they are -invariable Walnuts will
not Produce peach trees. Apple seeds
PLANTED in a garden will not change
themselves into rOsebushes and gera-
NUNS and begonias. Even things that
look alike or similar to the eye differ
entiate themselves in operation. The
marigold and the California poppies
and the blossoms of the ordinary
squash have their garments dyed with |
the same shade of yellow, but squash |
seed will not produce a California pop |
py any more than a morning glory
1890 N'AAA ~ NAAeAAASNu AAAlO OlG Ol LuOSe
beautiful Ice plants you see growing
along the Pacific coast. In other words,
God has decreed there are certain
things which it is impossible for a man
to do. And yet we find men every
where attempting such things They
try to achieve the impossible. I think
that man can have no more valuable
capacity than that of knowing what is
mpossible-impOssible in itself or i'm
possible for him. I would not discour-
age any one who is striving to accom-
plish great things, but when once you
see that an achievement cannot be
won urge you to abandon the effort
without delay. There comes a time in
life when we should "let go" as well as
there come other times in life when
we should hang on" and never loosen
our grip until success is ours.
Some months ago the time for my
summer vacation drew near. Then nv :
old longing to get away from the city :
and back, way back into the country :
took possession of me. Hardly had we q
arrived at my summer cottage than a =,
party Of three of US started out on a
hunting trip. The wagon was packed :,
with food. The guns and ammunition .
were put in, and away we went. y
'Where are you going to take usY :
asked the driver. "To my old ranch" %
was the reply. After the first DAVIS u
hunt was over and we were gathered
about the blazing fire the driver told ". !"
me story. First he pointed out - =.
some tall eucalyptus trees. Look at -
those clumps of trees dotting the mesa Il.
here and there and everywhere" said 81
he. "a few years ago each one of ~
those groves represented a prosperous ~, y"
farm. We had our church, our school III
and as fine harvest fields and lemon or III
chards as any one might wish to see. no
We expected the Southern Pacific rail u9
road to run through this valley. We Ia
expected water to be brought from "
the POma reservoirs, twenty-six miles ~
away, to irrigate this land. l refused yel
5000 for these bare fields upon which sOi
we are camping tonight, now unin- me
labited save by the rattlesnakes which Hel
We heard today and the deadly tarantu- VII
as. But did not know when to stop. yo'
The Southern Pacific did not come COL
Trough, as we expected The water tue
vas not brought down from Poma res 100
rvoirs Tben come tba four or iva hay
ears of drouobt We farmers vvoro let
teraIIv brrnad and starved ont ram the
y after family left this region. was q
le last to go. Today there is not liv- tica
lg a family for miles around. Here mel
re only the broken fences the tumble SER
OWN houses, the snakes, the poisonous Tue
)iders, the rabbits, the birds and the e enT
,yOtes. But l still hoped. l struggled l1iI
/ for twelve long years. Then, like -
e rest, 1 had to leave and go else nv nv
here Twelve long years of work |.I''l
ent for naught." .
All For NauEht. noo+
Did you ever hear a story more pa mo
etc? For twelve long years that 20,
an had worked among those hills. y,,on
lie campfire that cooked the game we 70 Il,
led that afternoon, the campfire ~, =
out which we were chatting that r,,,sl
yht, was fed by the shingles, the W,
ans and the boards of his old home. M,
e water holes near which we hunted sr
u oeen Jug as reservoirs ny ms start
nds. We were camping that night 400
on the ruins of a dozen long years +bo !
laoor' let as l nay upon the slounu am l
mort time ulte[ tnlS story was toiu' carry
Ins u ~ u sIeep' cOulu HoL get and
'nousHt ouI VI Ivy Hllu' no" now
ny men there are hanging on to bo+o
tain line OF work which is unprofit- s,,,n,
e and doomed to certain failure" hin,
en- as I rolled over l said to my storo
nd under the blankets by my side: +bor ,
r. Brown, there is a weighty lesson
e. There is time to let go just as W..
re is a time to hang on" Early ~ Li
L. l- - -' oep 49,, - ~ b,+ My dc
-, b,,.I, - ,loaoe,4l,, - other
.,, ,r,,r,I,Iir,o, fo-'oo 800 oo1I;ro' Angel
! oo, To- 90, WIZ, w., oro % fitted