"A certain man The Jewish Rabbis tell the following story: sent his servant to market to buy some good food. The servant returned bringing with him some tongues. Again he sent the same servant to buy some bad food. The servant again brought tongues. The master said: 'What is the reason, that when I sent you to buy good and bad food, you brought tongues?" The servant answered, 'From the tongue both good and evil come to man. If it be good, there is nothing better; if it be bad, there is nothing worse.' "The tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit."MATT. xii. 33. "Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."-MATT. iii. 10. THE TREE OF EVIL. Here, in dread silence, on the blighted heath, No heavenly breeze throughout the region blows; No flowers of Hope around it it ever bloom; And with a crash, it falls and strews the ground. It THE Tree of Desolation stands alone upon the blasted heath. sheds its baleful influence far and wide. No dewy meads, nor grassy plains, nor verdant lawns, are seen around; no blushing fields, waving Juxuriantly the golden ear; no laughing flowers bestudding the earth with their starry gems; nor spicy groves breathing the odour of delight can live or flourish here. The lowing kine, the bleating fleecy tribe, the choral songsters of the woods, are never heard; in these regions eternal silence reigns. This corrupt tree is altogether of a poisonous quality. Its roots, bark, branches, leaves, and fruit are poison. Two men are seen at work upon the tree; their object is to deliver the country from so great an evil. The one on the right hand has been employed many years, without effecting anything; he merely lops off a branch here and there: this only adds strength to the remaining branches, and makes them more fruitful; meanwhile, the excised limb sprouts again. The one on the left, more wise, wants to cut the tree down; to this end, he comes prepared with a good sharp axe; he directs his blows at the root of the tree; blow follows blow in quick succession, every stroke tells, and soon the monster tree lies prostrate on the ground. The Tree of Evil is an emblem of an evil heart; the bad fruit, of a bad life. The unconverted man sheds a deleterious influence all around him. In his soul there is a lack of spiritual graces; faith, love, hope, peace, joy, longsuffering, are all wanting. A spiritual death exists. Unbelief is the poison that corrupts the heart. Thoughts, words, actions, are all poisoned. Faith is put for the whole of religion, and unbelief for an ungodly life. Hence it is said, "He that believeth shall be saved," &c. The fruit of the evil heart is the pride of life, i.e., a love of the honours and glories of the world; the lust of the flesh, i.e., intoxicating drink, gluttony, and adultery, and the various pleasures of sin; the lust of the eye, i.e., love of fine dress, fine furniture, and the vanities of this life. He spends his wretched strength for naught, who labours to reform his outward conduct only. He may make a good Pharisee, but he will never make a Christian. His heart still continues" deceitful and wicked." "First make the tree good, and the fruit will be good also." He alone is the wise man who "lays the axe at the root of the tree;" who strikes at unbelief; who believes the truth as it is in Jesus. He prays with David, "Create in me a clean heart," relying on the promise of God, " "a new heart will I give unto you." Thus he is "created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works." fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." He has his Travellers inform us of a poison-tree found in the island of Java, which is said to have depopulated by its effluvia the country for twelve or fourteen miles around the place of its growth. It is called Bohan Upas. Poisoned arrows are prepared with the juice of it. Condemned criminals are sent to the tree to get this juice, carrying with them proper directions how to obtain it, and how to secure themselves from the malignant exhalations; and are pardoned if they bring back a certain quantity of the poison; but, by the register there kept, not one in four is said to return. Anger resteth in the bosom of fools."-EccL. vii. 9. "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath."-Ps. xxxvii. 8. ANGER, OR MADNESS. Upon the margin of the silvery flood, Man, born to reason, like the foolish beast, Look! here is the Lion, the king of beasts. See where he stands The savage monarch is alone; the beasts of the field hide themselves when he is angry; his dreadful roar makes them tremble in their dens; the echoing hills reply to the sounds thereof. Now he becomes hot with passion. He lashes with his furious tail his heaving sides; he shakes thunder from his shaggy mane; his eyes dart lightning. See he has raised his murderous paw; he is ready to grapple with his foe. Terrible he looks in the season of his wrath. |