WEEDS AND SEEDS | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 12, 1875

WEEDS AND SEEDS.

I HAD a garden and a little child, And in them both there grew so many weeds— So very rank and tall they grew, and wild, I saw no place to plant the goodly seeds.

And many hours I spent in weary toil, ’Mid burning suns and storms of childish tears, To root the weeds from out my garden’s soil Which to the tiller’s eye so vile appears.

Yet day by day my care seemed all for naught; In despite of my toil still grew the weeds, And the free soil for which my hand had sought I found nowhere to plant the goodly seeds.

A kindly neighbor saw me o’er the wall, And asked me why I toiled so long for naught; “For thus,” said he, “thou wilt not work their fall Nor gain the end for which thou long hast wrought.

“Put in thy plow, then plant the clover seeds, And mark me if I speak thee not the truth; The seeds will grow and choke the hateful weeds To which thy tireless hand hath shown no ruth.”

Ah, kindly neighbor, o’er the garden wall, Thou’st taught me what I had much need to know: To fret not at the weeds which grow so tall, But haste with liberal hand my seed to sow.

I sought the heart-soil of my little child, No longer now to rudely pull the weeds. With God’s own truth I plowed the fruitless wild, In faith and love I thickly sowed the seeds.

And now my garden yields me fragrance sweet; From laden boughs I pluck the golden fruit; My sickle now may find a harvest meet, The scattering weeds find scarcely space to root. —Christian at Work.