Fruitfulness

“ The question after all is, Does anybody gather fruit off us, and would anybody call us 'trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified'? That is lesson four from this text. May we all open our hearts for the dew from heaven, and then use it to produce in ourselves beauty, purity, strength, and fruitfulness! ”

“ We are in Christ when we believe in him and are accepted through the merit of his blood and brought by adoption into the family of God, but not until he abides in our hearts shall our lives become as beautiful as God means them to be. Fruitfulness,—that is the cry everywhere. Men are calling for intellectual fruitfulness and mechanical fruitfulness, and are bending their energies to find the soil which will develop at once the best quality and greatest amount of fruit. ”

“ Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
⁠Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
⁠With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
⁠And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; ”

“ This is gathered therehence, that fruitfulnesse is both required and promised in this place. It is required therein, that the Apostle intimates, that this is necessary for the faithfull, to be fruitfull. It is promised thereby, that it is made as a benefit arising from vertues. Good workes are called fruits by a metaphor, for the likenesse that they have unto the fruits of trees and plants. Now in naturall fruit many things are considered, which according to the Scripture must be applyed unto good workes. 1. That it be something agreeable to the nature of the seed from which it ariseth. ”

“ Our life is to be characterised by good works, and in each and every one of these we are to be fruitful, manifesting the ripeness, and, if it may be so put, the beauty and lusciousness associated with fruit. ”

“ Its trunk will grow up in majestic proportions—its wide-spreading branches will be clothed with a green luxuriant foliage, "goodly to look upon"—the most beautiful of blossoms will in due time, blush on every twig—and at length each limb and bough shall bend beneath the rich, golden fruit, ready to drop into the hand. Beneath its grateful shade you can find rest and repose, when the heat and burden of life come upon you. And of its delicious fruit, you can pluck and eat, and obtain refreshment and strength, when the soul becomes wearied with labor and care, or the weight of years. ”

“ Our duty is to sow good seed in the minds of our children, and to see that the ground be kept as free from evil weeds as possible. The time of fruit is not until reason is developed; and we err in expecting fruit at an early period. There will come the tender blade, green and pleasant to the eye, and the firm, upright stalk, with its leaves and its branches; and flowers, too, after a while, beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers; but the fruit of all our labour, of all our careful culture, appears not until reason takes the place of mere obedience, and the child becomes the man. ”

“ Is the body to have all, and the mind to starve? Was it not a wise hand that gave the purple bloom to the grape, and the blush to the apple? Might not the sun have given us as much comfort, and yet never have tinted the western sky with glorious hues? And who will say that these things are not beyond money value? So also will it be with the home and its surroundings; and while we cultivate our gardens and fruit farms for profit, why shall we not mingle the beautiful with the useful, and so cultivate a refinement of taste that shall be a source of pleasure through life? ”

“ As in the natural world we find the nutritious fruit not lying like pebbles on the ground, but hung on graceful trees and shrubs, heralded by fair and fragrant blossoms, embowered in verdant foliage, and itself beautifully shaped and tinted; so has the Lord arranged that the garden where grows the fruit of the tree of life, should abound in all that is most lovely to man's natural perception; and do we not slight this bounteous care for our mind's enjoyment while he makes provision for our soul's sustenance, when we neglect to point these things out to the notice of our children? ”

“ But the fruit that matures under Nature's careful hand; that knows in its ripening the warm sunshine and the cleansing showers, the cool of the quiet evening and the freshness of the dewy morn, the strength of the roaring storms and the softness of the caressing breeze—this fruit alone, I say, has the flavor that is from heaven.
It is a trite saying that many a girl of sixteen, these days, knows more of life than her grandmother knew at sixty. It remains to be proven that, because of this knowledge, the young woman of to-day is a better woman than her grandmother was. ”

“ Twelve manner of fruits is every kind of fruit which the tree of life is capable of producing. The fruits are good works. He in whose heart the tree of life is planted, bearing its twelve manner of fruits, is he who in all his works bears heavenly fruit, and all whose deeds are good. ”

“ From this tree spring infinite fruits, all mellow and very sweet, which nourish the soul in the life of grace, when it plucks them with the hand of free will, and eats them with holy eager desire. Whatever condition a person may be in, he tastes these fruits, if he has the light of discretion, in diverse ways, according to his state. He who is placed in the world, and has this light, gathers the fruit of obedience to the commands of God, and distaste for the world, of which he divests himself in mind, although he may be clothed with it in fact. ”

“ How many of us be resting on our dregs? How many of us be choked up, and bringing no fruit to perfection? Fruit, may-be: the plant is not dead; but poor, little, stunted fruits, half blasted before they be grown. Note, I pray you, in that our Lord's parable which methinks ye know, touching the sower and his seed, He saith the fruit is choked, not only by deceitfulness of riches, but by cares of this life as well. ”

“ And, indeed, when we consider how exceedingly refreshing at all times is the flavour of fruit; how very natural, and, in a manner, born in him, is man’s inclination for it; how little it is calculated to pall upon his senses; and how conducive, when not eaten to excess, it is to his health, as well as to his pleasure; we must not be surprised that a conviction of its excellence should have been one of those few subjects on which men have never disagreed. ”

“ God can help you sow good seed. He will help you to be good. He will help you to love all around you.
Flowers of Springtime
HOW pretty and sweet are the apple, peach, pear, plum, cherry, and orange blossoms! How good God was to make all these things for us to see and smell! We can enjoy the blossoms. Also, we can see the little apples or other fruit grow until they become large, juicy, ripe fruit. Then we can eat them, and oh, how good they will taste! God is very good to us.
[Pg 37]
Not a leaf nor a blade of grass could grow if God’s hand did not care for it. ”

“ O what fruit is here! Here is wisdom for fools: justification for the condemned soul;sanctification for the polluted soul; clothing for the naked; riches for the poor, bread for the hungry, drink for the thirsty. All manner of fruit is here, and we are trying, sirs, to shake the Tree of Life among you; and blessed be God. they may be gathered. O sirs! they are dropping among you; O gather, gather, for salvation is in every word that drops from him, his words are the words of eternal life. But,
6. This Plant is renowned for his scent and pleasant savour. ”

“ Luscious fruits, golden grain, wholesome vegetables, beautiful flowers, lovely fragrance, sunshine, birds singing, bees gathering honey, peace, harmony, beauty, life. Everything lovely, beautiful and healthful. Now the law of God, nature, or life, is that like produces like. ”

“ The blessings of providence were made for man, and his enjoyment; he is placed as head of creation. For him the earth teems with the richest profusion; the golden grain, the luscious fruit, the choicest vines; for him, the herbs, and flowers, bedeck the earth, shed their odoriferous perfumes, and display their gorgeous beauty; for him, the proud horse yields his back, the cow gives her milk, and the bee its honey ”

“ But what is the fruit of the flower of human life? Surely not the grave, as the loose thinking of some seem to imply. The only fruit I can see is in fairer flowers, or a higher type of mind and life that follows in this world, and to which our lives may contribute. ”

“ Magic fruit, for one could eat and eat, and still the fruit was there as perfect as ever to be handed down through generations, until at last it comes to you, as beautiful as in those days of long ago. ”

“ From the death of young spring blossoms, the strong fruit ripens. It is so with human life—is it not? From the death of young illusions, sometimes mature ones rise up, which ripen and bring forth fruit. ”

“ But fruits are not made merely to nourish us. They are so made that they gratify our taste while they nourish us and sustain our lives. And in this we see the kindness of our heavenly Father, just as we do in the beauty that he has given us to look upon in both flowers and fruits. ”

“ Far be it from me when thou expectest of me grapes, that I should bring forth only wild grapes.
Oh, that my soul might be as a watered garden, prolific in good fruits, that is, in solid virtues. Away with showy flowers, that please only the eye, that is, false virtues, and works that are good only in appearance, which will wither away quickly as grass. Be rooted out every spurious plant, planted not by the Father of truth, but by the father of vanity and pride. ”

“ Of indispensable, eternal fruit;
Fruit, on which mortals feeding, turn to gods:
And dive in science for distinguish’d names,
Dishonest fomentation of your pride!
Sinking in virtue, as you rise in fame. ”

“ He encourages them to be fruitful; to multiply, and replenish the earth, and to subdue it,—to turn it ever more to their advantage. He in effect places all [Pg 386] things at their disposal; every green herb, bearing seed, and every tree yielding fruit, is given to them for food; and they are at the same time given for food to every beast of the field, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth on the face of the earth. A richer, sweeter story,—a story of more cheerful, generous liberality,—a picture more creditable or honorable to God, one cannot imagine. ”

“ The vine-dresser has joy in rearing his fruit, and the eater has joy in partaking of its sweetness. When he who seeks to win souls brings one to taste the sweets of godliness for himself, there is joy for both. The righteous man is a “tree of righteousness,” hence he is himself a “tree of life.” Others partake of his fruit and live unto holiness, and become fruit-bearing trees in their turn. And in this sense “he that reapeth and he who soweth rejoice together,” and the precious harvest is a “tree of life”—an undying source of soul-satisfaction to both. ”

“ Whatever gift, power, or possession we have that we do not seek to use in this way is not yet truly devoted to God. Fruit is the test of character, and the purpose of fruit is not to adorn the tree or vine, but to feed hunger. ”

“ Growth comes by using the grace, stretching out and reaching forth; the power increases by reason of use.
3. Finally, there is growth in the form of flowers and fruit. God no more intended His creatures to be barren and unfruitful in religion, than He intended plants to fail in bloom and fruit. How perfectly clear Jesus makes this in His Parable of the Vine and the Branches! Of the branch which abideth in the Vine He says that when purged it shall experience a certain progression. Observe the order, 'bear fruit—more fruit—much fruit', and 'fruit which shall remain'. ”

“ Fruit in general represents good works, or the fruits of the Spirit, faith, hope and peace, and is accounted good; the vine is the emblem of Christ Himself, but the fruit, usually taken to be the apple,33 which grew on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, is an accursed thing. ”

“ Men and women, with faces seemingly hardened and grown rigid under the impress of vice, that but too correctly reveal the coarse and brutal nature within, often become wistful and tender over some simple flower or luscious fruit that recalls earlier and happier days. ”

“ LI. But that the beauty of the world might be eternal, great care has been taken by the providence of the Gods to perpetuate the different kinds of animals, and vegetables, and trees, and all those things which sink deep into the earth, and are contained in it by their roots and trunks; in order to which every individual has within itself such fertile seed that many are generated from one; and in vegetables this seed is enclosed in the heart of their fruit, but in such abundance that men may plentifully feed on it, and the earth be always replanted. ”

“ We satisfy our appetite with a salutary fruit, without the slightest apprehension; because its familiar appearance recals to us the refreshment, which we have repeatedly received. But, if these suggestions were reversed,—if the agreeable images of health and refreshment were all that were suggested by the poisonous plant, and pain, and convulsions, and death were the only images suggested by the sight of the grateful and nourishing fruit, there can be no doubt, to which of the two, our unfortunate preference would be given. ”

“ Every tree that yieldeth not good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire." It is not sufficient to produce any kind of fruit; the fruit must be solidly good. Examine your works, whether they be good, solid, and perfect, or not rather counterfeit and fair in appearance only, or at least imperfect and not of full growth and maturity. ”

“ But in this world of mercy, the just curse is ever graciously tempered with a blessing; many a grateful fruit, and some of our most delightful flowers, grow among the thorns and briars, their fragrance and excellence reminding man of the sweets as well as the toils of his task. ”