The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-09

vineyard, protected by its walls, a fig
tree has been planted For two years
the master of the vineyard has come
eagerly expecting to see the promised
fruit. Each time he met with dis
appointment, and the third time the
same result caused him to lose pa
tience. The tree Is failure. Why
leave it to exhaust the soil other
plants need? His order is. cut IT
down Why cumbereth it the ground?"
The vine dresser, however. pleads
Tor it He asks to be allowed TO dig
around and care for it Just one year
more. There the parable ends. leav-
ing this great hope for the fig tree.
IF it bear fruit. we'll" but also the
great risk. If not. then after that
thou shalt be cut down"
This parable has its lesson for every
age Our life has been planted in a
vineyard chosen and guarded by Gods
fatherly care. We have been born in
Christian country. inheriting the ira
ditions of Christian life. BY baptism
we have been planted in that body in
which all the life-giving energies of
the Divine Spirit are ever ready for
our growth and nurture.
Every gift necessary for our God
ward growth has been bestowed upon
us. Yet when we look at our lives
as they really are. can we say that they
show signs of growth corresponding
TO all these possibilities with which
we were endowed? AS life goes on
are we living nearer to God? Do we
spend any part OF our time in COM
munion with God?
If at our best moments we feel, as
sc must. heart-sick at ourselves for
the little growth We have accom-
plished. how can we measure the dis
appointment of the God who made us?
Was 1t for us to continue poor, trif-
ling creatures. filled with ignoble aims
and petty sins. that God Almighty
gave us our birth in nature and our
new birth in Christ?
The lfeless. unprosressive. con-
ventional Christianity into which we
are all apt 10 drift simply cumbers
the ground. 1t often checks the en-
thusiasm of others; it tempts men to
doubt whether there is any reality at
all in our professed religion. when 1t
has grown to be n perfunctory church
going, with no real live Christian
spirit pervading each act of our lives.
AS we allow our life to become dim
and feeble in its Christian endeavor.
just in proportion do we become cum
berers OF the soil.
Why is it that God is SO patient
with us? 1t is the pleading of the
vine dresser for the barren fig tree
The Son of Man has identified Him
self with the plants OF the vineyard.
He has obtained the right to plead
that they should be spared yet awhile.
and an honest confession OF our bar
renness brings us within the protec-
ton of His pleading But we must not
presume upon that pleading we must
remember the conditions. If it bears
fruit. well, but If not, it must be
cut down." 1t is only through growth
that We can attain the assurance of
=
and submission TO His will can we
begin at last to hear fruit and stand
the scrutiny of God.
Our Lord put the truth in the plain
est words: He that abideth in Me
and in him, the same bringeth forth
can do nothing" This abiding in
Christ" means the daily merging OF
our life, in every purpose every desire
and every plan, into His. This can
only be accomplished through faith.
prayer and self-discipline. Prayer is
the uplifting of our souls to God as
the supreme end of all our aims. We
must not only pray for what we want.
but for what God wants us to be. We
can be certain that any pursuit or am
bition Is worthy of us as Christians
bless It, On the other hand, any act
or desire that we feel we cannot ask
God to further. we may know is un-
Christian.
Many of us may not clearly dis
Germ that we are bearing fruit. Some
times it is better that we should not.
but that inward growth, strengthened
by His grace will be felt outwardly
by others, and our example to all in
the range of our influence Will be
helpful to them and further Gods
kingdom here on earth. This is the
bearing OF fruit wherein our Lord
tells us the Father is glorified. On
such lives the Creator looks to rejoice
in what He has made. Is 1t not
become a JOY to God who gave them?
To give joy to God-surely this is the
most uplifting and inspiring ambition
of life