The Masterpiece
Improvement Era, vol. 7, no. 4, February 1904, pp. 248 to 249
Richards, L. L. Greene
THE
MASTERPIECE.
BY
L.
L.
GREENE
RICHARDS,
This
morning
I
heard
a
short
discourse
delivered
to
a
select
congregation.
It
was
not
given
from
notes,
but
by
inspiration
from
heaven.
The
chief
point
made
by
the
speaker,
I
consider
worthy
of
being
kept
in
view,
so
I
will
give
it
in
my
way,
and
pass
it
along
for
others
to
take
up
and
repeat,
as
they
may
feel
impressed
to
do.
The
speaker
said,
in
substance,
that
there
had
been
a
certain
important
room
which
was
to
be
painted.
This
work
of
art
was
given
over
to
a
master
artist,
and
he
employed
others
to
work
under
his
direction.
He
would
say
to
one:
"I
want
you
to
fill
in
this
por-
tion of
the
room
with
the
designs
I
will
furnish
you,
and
in
the
col-
ors I
shall
select
for
you."
And
to
another
he
would
say,
"I
would
like
you
to
paint
these
designs
here,
and
notice
that
the
blending
of
the
colors
must
be
done
like
this,"
And
so
on;
to
each
of
his
assistants
he
gave
the
plan
which
he
desired
should
be
worked
out
in
each
particular
part
of
the
room.
The
result
was
a
wonderful
work
of
harmony
and
completeness
in
the
painting
of
the
room.
The
under-artists
had
not
real-
ized that
such
would
be
the
case.
They
simply
followed
the
directions,
and
carried
out
the
plans
of
their
master.
But
the
mas-
ter himself
had
the
whole
design
mapped
out
in
his
mind
before-
hand, and
could
tell
each
one
of
his
artists
just
what
he
wanted
him
to
do.
Now,
we,
in
a
certain
sense,
as
children
of
our
Father
in
heaven,
are
like
those
under-artists;
and
our
Father
is
the
great
and
allwise
Master.
He
has
the
whole
plan
of
the
work
of
salva-
THE MASTERPIECE. 249 tion in his mind. He gives to each one of us the portion to do that in his wisdom is best designed for us. We often fail to see anything more of the pattern to be formed, but just the small spot upon which we are at work. But if we do the section assigned us well and faithfully, no matter how little we see now of the perfect work to be wrought out, when it is finished, we shall each look with joy and satisfaction upon the por- tions we have done. We must work as our Master designs, not as we ourselves might consider best, because we know so little of the whole plan. But through obedience and faithfulness, we can each fill our allot- ments in the way which, taking them altogether, will produce the most harmonious blending of shades, and fitting together of pat- terns, that could possibly be arranged. Our own lives belong to the wonderful picture, the grand masterpiece which is being painted by the artist-children of our Father, everywhere. And no matter how well we may work for a time, unless we keep up to the line drawn for us, we are liable to make some false touch, or a blotch of some kind, that will mar the beauty of our former efforts, or perhaps cut us out of the pic- ture altogether. Then how unsatisfactory our whole life-work would be, not only to ourselves, but to the Master as well. What father would consider a family group-picture of his household complete, with some of the members left out? And shall we mar the excellence of our Father's masterpiece by acts of folly or wickedness that would render us unworthy to appear in the places we should fill? We trust that such will not be the case with any of us. Let us study carefully every line to be drawn, every tint to be produced, every figure to be brought out, and all things that are apportioned for us to do, according to the will of him who is the designer of the great masterpiece.