Tuesday, September 16, 2008



"That's a good repentance that bears fruit, and not that which produces leaves only. When the heathen gods were to choose what trees they would have sacred to them and used in their festivals; Jupiter chose the Oak, Venus the Myrtle, Apollo loved the Laurel, but wise Minerva took the Olive. The other trees gave no fruit; a useless apple from the Oak, or little berries from the Laurel and the Myrtle; but besides the show, they were good but for very little: but the Olive gives an excellent fruit, fit for food and medicine, which when Jupiter observed, he kissed his daughter, and called her wise: for all pompousness is vain, and the solemn religion stands for nothing, unless that which we do, be profitable and good for material uses." Jeremy Taylor

Statue of Minerva, - She was considered to be the virgin goddess of warriors, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, crafts and the inventor of music.

2 comments:

Mel said...

I'm still chewing on this one, meditating on what it looks like in life when repentance bears fruit. I love how Mr. Taylor uses secular imagery to make his points. The Apostle Paul did the same thing.

Can you tell I'm a little "comment-happy" today? :)

FCB said...

Glad to have your happy comments, been a little vacant without them.
I take this to simply mean that when we repent of something, that we are sincere and do battle with it so we don't repeat it. In not repeating the offense we are bearing fruit unto righteousness; versus a life of words and appearances, (leaves).
That's how it strikes me.
God bless,
Fred