Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-01-08
GIG"

while she keeps the ripe leaves for her
table alone. So old age means not de
cay, but maturity. If life has been well
spent death is the falling of ripened
leaf. Eliphaz spoke to Job a great
truth when he said: Thou shalt come
to thy grave in full age, like shock
of corn cometh in in it's season" The
physical decrepitude of the Christian
is the ripening autumn leaf, from
which shine forth the rainbow colors
of faith, joy and peace.
The best of living is the last,
And life grows sweetest at its close,
And something richer than the past
These days disclose.
Alone, yet not alone l stand,
Around, above a power Divine
Is shining, and a heavenly hand
Is touching mine.
Strange glories gid my closing days,
And one bright star from out the west
Calls me in tender tones away
From work to rest.
And voices which amid the din
Of outward life l could not hear,
Are gently whispering within
Their words of cheer.
So welcome is each flying year,
And welcome is the silent bliss,
Nor aught this noisy world can bear
Compares with this
The Mission of the Leaf.
The leaf in fading also fulfills its
mission. Autumn is the commence.
ment week of the forest, the gradu.
ating season of the leaves, The time
when they get their diplomas from
the God of nature for the work that
has been done. The mission of the
leaf is to build up the forest. 1t is the
laboratory in which the plant fiber is
made. The rough, coarse substances
are taken by the roots and carried up
into the trunk, but they must go into
the finer laboratory of the leaf before
they can be transformed into fiber that
abides. Leaves are the lungs of the
trees, and a man can get along with
out his lungs just as easily as a tree
without leaves And every leaf does
it's part from the time that it first
begins to be rocked by the winds in
it's winter cradle, wrapped in warm
garments, until it natures in the
beauty of autumn.
Jesus said: "To every one his
work There is a sphere for each
leaf in the forest can do the work of
another leaf. Faithfulness, not big
ness, is the test and will receive the
reward. "He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also in
much" which is often quoted as mean
inc that if we are faithful in little
us the opportunity of being faithful in
great things. 1t has no such meaning.
Faithfulness in the least is-not will
be-is now faithfulness in much. Not
the little nor the much, but the faith
fulness counts with God. The least
leaf that performs it's mission will
have as much reward as the greatest
tree trunk, which can be no more.
Cooperation.
Every leaf works with it's brother
leaf. 1t takes many leaves to build
up tree, and if one leaf should de-
eide to withdraw and work independ-
emily of all other leaves, it would do
much toward destroying itself without
helping others. I'VE are laborers to-
gether for God" 1t is not enough
that we be laborers; we must be labor
ers together with God If we will
work with God we cannot fail to work
together. There are some who refuse
to join a church They prefer to
work alone, and the result is that
much of life is wasted for the lack of
the accumulated power which goes
with organization. Moses asked the
question: How shall one chase a
thousand and two put ten thousand to
flight" Master the mathematics that
underlies that question. 1t means that
two are ten times stronger than one.
If, therefore, you would multiply your
self by ten, join with others in the
work of God.
The leaf in maturing provides for
the future. 1t multiplies itself by self
sacrifice. Look into the little bud on
the stem from which the leaf has
dropped, and you will find another leaf
In embryo. Jesus said: Except a
grain of wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone; but if it die.
it bringeth forth much fruit" He who
gave himself for us teaches us to
give ourselves for others, and we are
fruitful in proportion to our self-sacri-
fee. Unless you live a life of self
sacrifice no one else is apt to be in.
fuenced by you to become a Christian
and though you may be saved so as
by fire, you will have no crown of re-
joicing to lay at the feet of Jesus.
Be not content to go to heaven alone
BY all means save some one" that
you may have spiritual successors
when the time comes for you to ripen
and fall