The Washington herald., 1907-10-27
A SUNDAY TALK.


Then said he urto the dresser Of his vineyard:
Behold these three years ] come seeking fruit on
this ig tree, and hnd none: cut il down; why cum
hereth il the gound-St Luke. xiii. Z
Il sounds like a harsh judgment, this
which Jesus Christ spoke in a parable
to his disciples but IN that Judgment lies,
if it be properly considered, the principle
Of eternal justice which has been since
the world was made and shall exist until
the world is gray. The value Of such
teaching to us of to-day lies in the fact
that if we accept it we have to face
manfuly the fact that being planted
here something more is expected of all
of US than just growing. To rise in the
moraing. greet our friends, to walk in
differently about our DIsiness-these
things are sufficient "By their fruits ye
shall judge them" was the dictum of
long ago.
Too often we are content 10 go through
life seeming Too many Of US are con-
tent 20 DE thought kindly aad honest
and tender and faithful; the reputation.
and not the thing itself. is what con-
Germs us. To such. swelling in the conceit
that they are fooling the world, the
sufficient answer might be- BE not de-
ceved, God IS not mocked;' but there
is phase Of the business that comes
nearer home 90 us than this. We can
not mock ourselves, We may say to
ourselves that we have succeeded in
deadening conscience. ia sitting the in
ward voice that points always so truly
upward and would have us walk straight
ly and directly toward the higher aims
but deep in our inner consciousness we,
all of us. know whether In very truth
we are real trees, bringing forth fruit
to the glory OF the world. or mere shamG
and pretenses, of fair outward aspect,
but. after all. mere cumberers Of the
ground
Nothing can be more extravagantly
foolish than mere existence, the wasting
of precious hours, the neglecting Of
glorious opportunities. Work is not a
curse, but a blessing. and 1t is only by
the fruit which we may bring forth that
We can Justify. even to ourselves. the
endurance OF the pains and penalties
which make up the sum Of life.
And, work as we may achieve what
results our faculties viii permit. still
are we tending toward the inevitable end.
At The last. IS ineXorably as fate, the
time viii come when the leaves will fall
from our tree OF life. no more viii the
sap flow through our veins. the power
Of putting forth fruit will have left us
forever, and we shall come to be mere
cGmberers 0f the ground Work then
while ye may, That is the lesson. Far
+ better. indeed, for us IL is 10 so down
in the full aRd roaring torrent OF en-
deavor than % pass away in mere stag
nation Is there work TO d02 Then set
about it-not tomorrow. but now. TO
morrow. why tomorrow / may be my
self with Yesterdays 700 years"
Neither the world nor heaven has any
use for the men who simply cumber the
ground, IN this great battle Of life there
I is room only for those who are willing
90 essay much, 10 push forward 20 the
forefront. where the lighting Is, and 20
/ bear themselves proudly as becomes
men,
Oh. there Is SO much u Do and so
/ little time in which 10 do Il, There IS
not q moment We may call our own. not
q fragment Of time in which the Master
may not come, seeking fruit on the tree
and, finding II not. condemn us as worth
less. Think Of the hearts thai suffer. 10
whom the fruit OF "a kindly word which
might speak would seem q blessing:
/ think of the poor and needy. whom. with
out much effort on our part. we may
I help Think Of the great work that re-
mains 20 be done I'm the vineyard Of
I the Master and which being here. it Is
our glorious privilege 20 do. Pray. YES
for that IS worship. out work also. ror
that is worship, too, and service. and the
way 90 JOY. Well il is indeed. 70 Praise
God from whom an blessings dow." but
better far 90 recognize the fact that the
only return we can make 90 God. beside
faith and trust, is the return Of our
selves, giving the best OF ourselves 10
our fellow-men. working with all our
might 90 accomplish that for which we
We're put into the world so that when
the time comes that an accounting is
demanded of uS-erl that time shall
come 90 alive can point with humility
10 the fruit which we have borne. We
can say with honesty that we have used
our opportunity; that We have not cum
bered tho ground