Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-04-25
Knoxville, Tenn. April %, 1880.

"Be not deceived, God is not Knocked /;
for whatsoever a man sowetb, that shall he
also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption. '-Gal.
CHI, 80 VS..
This. my hearers, is the annunciation of
a truth burdened with Issues of the graVest
character. Upon correct apprehension
Of the principle it contains depend some of
the richest blessings of this life, as well as
those of the life which is to come. A mis-
apprehension or williul negligence of it
involves responsibilities Of fearful import.
The language in which it is expressed is
exceedingly tgurative; however, the prin-
cipe itself is capable of the simplest analy-
sis and the most practical application. 1t
is most strikingly illustrated in the various
productions and phenomena of the vege,
table kingdom. These illustrations are OBJ
vious and apparent to all, even the most
casual and superficial observer That like
produces its like; that effect proceeds from
cause throughout the whole realm of nature,
is scientific principle absolute and imLu-
table, and, of necessity, iaheres in the
origin and nature OF things. We're it other
wise, the most appalling results would in
evitably follow. For upon it, rs an agent,
depends the perpetuity of the whole sys-
tenn of material existence In the wisdom
of an all. wise Creator, it was thus ordained
from the beginning. 1t is, therefore, CO.
eva with the first acts of ply steal creation.
After God had called into being, organized
and assimilated the elements of the earth,
selected its appropriate sphere 10 the solar
system, and hurled it with definite pre-
cision along its ETHEREAL pathway, h. said :
Let the earth bring. forth grass the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tres yielding
fruit after its kind, and it WAS so" Ana
from that eventful period to the present it
has undergone neither variabeness nor
shadow of turning. BY its absolute GER
tainty, the nations of the earth have ever
been governed in their relation to the pro-
ducts of the soil. All things being equal,
nature is unalterably true to her trust. The
frosts of autumn may retard her opera
tions the SHOWS of winter may lay violent
hands upon her resources, and, for the time
being, impede the progress of her develop
ments, but in process of time she comes
forth in royal majesty, orDamented with
her foliage and flowers, and richly ladened
with her fruits and her grain. Hence, with
what implicit confidence mankind have
learned to rely upon the honesty of natuI Ell
They frequently refuse to credit their fruit
and their cereals to their fellows, even with
respectable security; but when seed time
comes they measure it out with q lavish
hand to nature, without exacting security
U
dence and expectancy until the time of the
harvest, and IN due season she multiplies
and returns it with interest to the garner,
The transaction does not produce the
slightest astonishment, for such has been
natures custom from time immemorial.
Therefore whatsoever a man literally sows
in his field, that will be inevitably reap.
In his mind the fact has become y fixture.
He is prepared for no other result. And
he reaps the very character of grain in the
harvest that he scattered in seed time. Do
men ever gather grapes from thorns, or
fes from thist esq Do they ever plant the
strawberry and from it gather the wheat
and the barley Never Nature is
too honest in her dealinss for
that. Like produces its like, and
IF ct proceeds from ca lse, and the tffect
must Of necessity be similar in qua ity TO
the character OF. the cause which produced
il. Hence the vineyard is plantedi ana the
fruit thereof il gathered; the corn and the
barley are sown, and the same are gathered
IN the time OF the harvest. And thus 1t Ia
through each successive season that nature
manipulGteg her energies and exerts her
forces in the productions and reproduc.
tons of her vegetable kingdom. None OF
them are produced by violence or sudden
transitions but, day by day, they are devel.
oped into full and perfect maturity. "For
! the earth bringeth forth fruit Of herself