man's inner nature, then the benevolence which may have been dormant is aroused, and new direction is given to it, and new power to persevere and to succeed in the attainment of its object. II. RELIGION PROMPTS TO A PRACTICAL EXPRESSION OF BENEVOLENT FEEUNG. Too often sympathy is a sentimental luxury, leading to no effort, no self-denial. The poet justly denounces those who, "NlJ!BCd in mealy-mouthed philanthropies, Divorce the feeling from her mate-the deed." But the spirit of the Saviour urges to Christ-like endeavour, and sustains the worker for men's bodily, social, and spiritual good. The bread must be cast, the portion must be given. III, BENEVOLENCE MEETS IN ITS EXERCISE WlTH MANY DISCOURAGEMENTS. The bread is cast upon the waters. This implies that in many cases we must expect to lose sight of the results of our work; that we must be prepared for disappointment; that, at all events, we must fulfil our service for God and man in faith, and rather from conviction and principle than from any hope of apparent and immediate success. IV. A PROMISE IS GIVEN WHICH 18 INTENDED TO URGE TO PERSEVERANCE. Wbat is, as it were, committed to the deep shall be found after the lapse of days. The waters do not destroy, they fertilize and fructify, the seed. Thus "they who sow in tears shall reap in joy." In how many ways this promise is fulfilled the history of the Christian Church, and even the experience of every individual worker for God, abuudantly show. In places and at times altogether unexpected and unlikely, there come to light evidences that the work has been cared for, watched over, and prospered by God himself. He does not suffer the efforts of his faithful servants to come to nought. The good they aim at, and much which never occurred to them to anticipate, is effected in God's time by the marvellous operation of his providence and his Spirit. "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."-'!'. Ver. !.-.Encouragement to Christian toilers. 'l'he lesson of this verse, if the figure be dropped, may be expressed thus: A.et upon principl6s and not upon likelihoods. I. A SIMIL1TUDE. 'l'he good we give to men when we preach and teach Divine truth, when we exercise Christian influence, is seed-fruit-bearing seed. It is a blessed, but a sacred and serious, occupation to sow the seed of spiritual life. II. A DIRECTION. Christian sowers I cast your bread even upon the waters. 1. Even upon an unkindly soil. 2. Even in an unpromising season. 3. Liberally, though at the cost of self-sacrifice. 4. Constantly, even though it seems that the sowing has been long carried on in vain. 5. Bravely and hopefully, although the calculating, short- sighted world deride your efforts. Ill. A PROMISE. After lapse of days you shall find the bread you have dispersed. I. What is cast abroad is not destroyed. 2. Neither is it lost sight of. 3. It shull, prrhaps after many days, be found again. It may be in time; it shall, be in eternity. '!'hen "he that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice together."-T.
Vers. 4, 6.-Fuljil duty and disregard consequences. These statements and admonitions respect both natural and spiritual toil. The husbandman who labours in lhe fields, and the pastor and the missionary who seek a harvest of souls, alike need such counsel. The natural and the supernatural alike are under the control and government of. God ; and they who would labour to good purpose in God's uni verse must have 1·egard to Divine principles, and must confide in Divine faithfulness and goodness. I. THE DUTY OF DILIGENCE, Good results do not come by chance; and although the blessing and the glory are alike God's, he honours men by permitting them to be his fellow-workers. '!'here is no reason to expect reaping unless sowing has preceded; "What a man soweth that shall he also reap," Toil-thoughtful, patient, persevering toil-such is the condition of every harvest worth the ingathering. II, D1ssuABIVES FROM DILIGENCE, If the husbaudman occupy himself in studying the weather, and in imagiI)ing and anticipating adverse seasons, the operations of '.286 ECCLESB.STES; OR, THE PREACHER. [01-1. XI. 1-10.
agriculture will come to a standstill. There are possibilities and contingencies before e,•ery one of us, the consideration and exaggeration of which may well paralyzo the rowers, hinder effective labour, and cloud the prospect of the future, so as to prevent n proper use of present opportunities. This is a temptation which besets •some tempernments more than others, from which, however, few are altogether free. If the Ch, istian labourer fixes his attention upon the difficulties of his task, upon the obd1iracy or ignorance of the natures with which be bas to deal, upon the slenderness of his resources, upon the failures of many of his companions and colleacrues, leavincr out of sight ~11 counte1:acting infl~1euces, the li_kelihood _is tl~at bis powe;s will be ;rippled, that bis work will stand still, aud thath1s whole life will be clouded by disappointment. 'rhe field looks barren, the weeds grow apace, the enemy is sowing tares, the showers c,f blessing are withheld: what, then, is the use of sowing the gospel seed? Such are the reflections and the questionings which take possession of many minds, to their discourngement and enfeeblement and distress. III. INDUCEMENTS TO DILIGE::<;CE. It is not questioned that the work is ardnous that the difficulties are real, that the foes are many and powerful, that circumstance~ may be adverse, that the prospect (to the eye of mere human reason) may be sombre. But even granting all this, the Christian labourer has ample grounds for earnest and persevering effort. Of these, two come before us as we read these verses. 1. Our own ignorance of results. We have not to do with the consequences, and we certainly cannot foresee them. Certain it is that amazing blessings have sometimes rested upon toil in most unpromising conditions, in places and among people that have almost stricken the heart of the observer with despair. "Thou knowest not whether shall prosper, this or that;" " With God nothing is impossible." 2. 'l'he express command of our Divine Lord. Results we cannot foresee. But direct commands we can understand and obey. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand." Such is the voice, the behest, of him who has a right -to order our actions-to control and inspire our lire. Whilst we have this commission to execute, we are not at liberty tn waste our time and cripple our activities by moodily questioning what is likely to follow from our efforts. Surely the Christian may have faith to leave this in the hand of God !-T.