The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-09-17

L
ing and memorizing of choice verses
as we meet them in our daily reading
Suppose a farmer were to set. out a
dozen choice fruit trees each year. In
a few years his farm would be we'll
stocked with great variety of fruit.
and each tree would bear fruit as long
as he lived. Each tree has it's own in,
dividuality and value, and in course of
time each one would come to seem
like an old friend. Some yield sweet
apples and others sour. Some are
early and others late. Then there are
pears and peaches and plums and
cherries of different kinds and f1avors.
Suppose a person should commit to
memory one verse of Scripture each
week. That would not be very hard
task, but how great would be the re-
suit as the years went on. Each verse
is like fruit tree which bears some
kind of choice fruit to enrich his
mind and ennoble his character and
increase his usefulness. And these
yield fruit not simply once year, or
even once month, like the trees in
Celestial City (Rev. 22:2), but every
day in the year, and all the years of
his life
Take such verse as John 14:27,
Peace I leave with you, my peace /
give unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid"
How many times, think you, would a
Christian feed his soul on that verse
in a lifetime? The same is true of
Matt. 11:28 and Romans 1928 and
I John 81 and Jude "a.
If one continued this habit few
years his mind would become a mag
nificent orchard, yielding fruit in such
abundance and variety as to supply
not only the owner himself, but all his
neighbors and friends. If man had
no other assets than a mind well
stored with Scripture, he would be a
rich man. But he would have other
assets, because it is declared of those
who delight in the law of the Lord,
that they shall be like tree planted
by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season. His leaf
also shall not wither, and whatsoever
he doeth shall prosper" Psalm 1:3.
Consider also the effect of this habit
in creating relish for that which is
pure and wholesome in literature, and
a distaste for that which is vulgar No
one whose mind is stored with the
sublime sentiments of the Bible will
care for trashy and sensational read
ing.
Not only will it affect his mind but
his character. He will naturally love
righteousness and hate iniquity. He
will have high ideals because he is ia
miliar with such men as Enoch and
Daniel and Abraham. In time of temp
tation the Holy Spirit will recall to
his mind some suitable verse, as he
did for our Savior when tempted by
the adversary. When perplexed as to
his duty some passage of Scripture
will flash upon him and make the path
of duty as clear as daylight.
Besides, if he is on the alert, he
will find many opportunities to help
others. He can correct false impress
sions, answer excuses and objections.
and often lead sinners to begin the
Christian life. 1 know of a case where
a wife committed two verses at an aft
ernoon service, and at the supper
table she used them on her husband.
He was so affected that he knelt right
down and accepted Christ without
waiting to finish his supper.
In some families the custom pre-
walls of each member repeating a
verse of Scripture at family worship.
In one family each child has a prom
Use each day, and Sunday mornings
they repeat all the promises they
have learned during the week. A
verse from each member of the family
at the breakfast table, with the Lords
prayer in concert makes a very good
form of family worship where some
have to hurry away to business imme
diately after breakfast.
AS a help to those who wish to
know Gods Word better the writer
has arranged a leaf1et containing one
hundred choice verses, selected from
the whole Bible They cover wide
range of topics and are particularly
rich in verses adapted to the use OF
personal workers. They are arranged
in the order in which they come in
the Bible, with chapter and verse
given. The whole verse is not given
but only enough to recall it when once
1t has been learned. Anyone who mas
tiers these hundred verses will be well
equipped for any emergency which
may arise. A verse a day for three
months would accomplish the task.
The writer has none to sell, but he
will gladly give a copy to any who
will send him his address on q
slammed enve1ODa