TREES by Chas. P. Whitford

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 28, 1900

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 35, No. 35.

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TREES

By Chas. P. Whitford

CHAS. P. WHITFORD.

(Orlando, Fla.)

1. Does an orange tree bear oranges to make of itself an orange tree?—No.

2. Why, then, does it bear oranges?—Because it is an orange tree.

3. Will a sour orange tree produce sweet oranges?—No.

4. Why not?—It is a law of nature that like begets like. To produce sweet oranges would be impossible, since the tree is not sweet, and consequently does not have the sweet sap out of which to make a sweet orange.

5. Can the nature of the tree be so changed that it will produce sweet oranges?—Yes.

6. How is this change accomplished?—By grafting into it a sweet orange bud.

7. Since the character of the tree has been changed, what kind of fruit does it now produce?—Fruit like the bud.

8. How do we judge the character of a tree?—By the quality of the fruit that it bears. Matt. 12:33.

9. In the matter of bearing fruit, does the Lord compare men to trees? Matt. 7:15–18. The Lord would have us understand that it would be just as nearly possible to gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, as to see good works in men, while in their natural state, or condition. See Rom. 8:7, 8. Why can't we please God? Gal. 5:17.

10. By nature, what kind of trees are we? Are we sweet trees, and all yielding good fruit? or are we sour trees? Let the Lord tell us; for certainly he knows. Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10, 23; Mark 7:21, 22.

11. How shall we become good trees? Isa. 61:1–3.