The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-16

- ~ 'HN N'HAt 'tANi
What you are, root and all. and all
in all
/ should know what God and man is"
AS We wait and watch for the COM
ing Of the kingdom, even as for the
coming Of the flowers. let us be ad-
monished not To get excited. Flowers
will vindicate our waiting. The
mustard seed will become a tree that
will shelter birds. The kingdom Of
heaVen will increasingly exercise its
benign ministries upon the people
It's Ultimate triumph is sure. our
faith in all seed should enhance our
faith in the seed which is the Word.
Some Kingdom BlunderS
There are three classes of people
who especially need the teaching CT
this parable of the mustard seed. for
they are laundering in the matter OF
the Kingdoms coming.
come-in-a-hurry crowd. They are
sure that the millennium will down
tomorrow. They see in every express
train and in the infant airship a full
tillment of the prophecy hat men
shall run to and fro over the earth.
Few OF these are gifted with any his
tOrical sense. and they are ignorant
Of the fact hat their same type Of
character got just as excited over the
Introduction Of the stage coach. In
the wireless telegraph and in the dis
covery Of the North Pole they see
signs Of the swift coming OF the
kingdom. They have no patience:
they cannot understand any other
time than the present day: their sense
of proportions is lacking. Every
connection among the nations in our
time is to them an evidence that
the fuilness Of all times mas come.
These need to remember the parable
of the mustard seed, The king
dOm's coming is a growth. The SEED
that terminated 80 wonderfully in the
first centuries has been steadily do
ing its work, but not yet is it's growth
accomplished.
In the econd place there is the
needless crowd who are really not
watching for the Kingdoms coming.
They see no growth and are not per
turbed by any apparent declension.
TO them religion is an unreal sort OF
fairy realm, to be taken on some
body's say SO. They are not among
those h are watching. To them
might come anew the Masters word,
Can ye not discern the signs OF the
times?"
The third are the pessi-
mists. who are sure that the king
dom is having sorry times OF it, and
world is having things all his own
way. They are sure that the world
is growing worse, and the only com
fort their little souls enjoy is that
they themselves are a saving salt in
the midst of so much wickedness.
There Is no rainbOW in their sky. All
h signs that come to them are in
terpreted as tokens Of defeat. These,
too. need the parable OF the king
dom that grows greater and offers
shelter for many creatures. They
especially need to observe more close
ly things in the large.
Signs Of Promise.
Why did Jesus tell this story, any
how? What was the first purpose OF
the parable? Was it not to hearten
His friends, who would have many
reasons for encouragement, with the
conviction that tn. Kingdom. to
which they had given their ives was
a conQuering kingdom. At the bass
OF the parable is a note Of assurance
h kingdom OF heaven is coming
Let us get that conviction into the
groundwork Of all our thinking. and
we shall see its fulfllment on every
hand. Who so looks at life in it,
relationships and with a wide hori.
zon. knowing somewhat OF other cen.
turtles than his own. will observ,
> signs of promise everywhere.
It may be recommended for tn,
religious pessimist hat he study tn
growth Of Christianity in the college:
{ Of our time-the thousands of Bibl.
l classes maintained by the student
/ themselves. their work for the needy
and their foreign missionary activity
Observe the growth Of Christian
sentiment and the progress of tn
: ideals Of Jesus in the realm OF inter
| n~atiOnalism. What is the peac
t propaganda Of our time but an ech'
OF the teachings Of Christ? How ma,
: we explain the new altruism Of ma
tions-which. for instance. has pre-
served the integrity OF China-ex
cept by recollection of the growth o
8 the kingdom Of Christ?
Closer at hand. watch the work o
the agencies Of relief in our time an
the widespread charitable organize
e lions which minister to all forms o
human need.
e Behold the spread.of the brother
hood idea throughout h Who'll
s world, 50 that the brotherhood move
e ment in Canada and Great Britai
" embodies a sentiment which more o
less tangibly may be traced over tn