Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-22
Sowing and Reaping.

There are certain fundamental prin-
ciples underlying the facts and relations
of life which we need to keep constant
ly in mind. Since God said: ''Let the
earth bring forth grass, the herb yield
ing seed, and the fruit-tree yielding
fruit after it's kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the EARTH" from that day
to this every plant has yielded fruit
after his kind" Christ accommodated
this great principle when He said: "a
tree is known by its fruits" "Do men
gather grapes of thorns or figs of this
tles?' and broadened its application to
all spiritual matters. "Whatsocuer q man
soweth that shall he also reap"
Our farmers know this perfectly well,
and are now saving up their choicest
seeds for sowing in the spring. How
careful are they that all germs that
may-nay, that must-produce weeds,
smut, blight, rust, be removed from the
seed and kept out of the soil! What
pains they take that in the fertilizers
they apply to the soil these germs be
first destroyed, lest the harvest be in
jured! They go over their orchards
and remove all diseased trees lest the
whole be infected. Their tlocks and
herds pass under review, and only
sound and healthy animals are permit
ted to live. And all this because they
know that every seed will produce fruit
after its kind.
The sower that went forth to SOW
seems to have had good seed, for when
it fell into good soil it sprang up and
bore fruit. thirty, sixty and a hundred
fold. Part of it fell among thorns,
part of it fell by the wayside, part of it
fell into stony places, but enough of it
bore fruit to reward the toll of the hus-
bandman. Nevertheless, had it all fallen
by the wayside, or in stony places or
among thorns, it was still the duty of
the soWer to sow the seed.
I'm the morning SOW thy seed, and
in the evening withhold not thine hand,
for thou knowest not which shall pros
per, this or that, or whether they shall
both alike be good"
"Cast thy bread upon the waters, for
thou shalt find it after many days"
blessed are they that sow beside all
waters" 81 He that goeth forth and
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him."
We are so much under the dominion
OF the senses that it is not easy for us to
grasp spiritual truth as we grasp phys
ical fact. Though we know that each
seed must produce fruit after its kind in
the material world, we would fain to
delude oursef with the hopes that the
seeds OF Impotence, of neglect, of DISC
bedience. of vice that we SOW will not
produce their legitimate fruit. The self
indulgent parent leaves his child to
grow up as he may, and hopes that
somehow he will come out all right;
tho student slurs owe his preparations,
or Grams for examination, or evades the
rules, or tries to persuade himself that
lit will be all the same q hundred years
from now" as though he did his duty
thoroughly and faithfully; the artisan
Sights his work, and says there is no
wrong done; but in the day when 1.-THE
fire shall try every mans work of what
sort it Isl those who have been faithful
and diligent and conscientious in the
performance OF every duty and the dis
charge of every obligation will find
their work ''abide." and receive their
reward. For whatsoever Il man SOW
eth thai shall he also reap"
1t is u good time now ut the BEGIN
ming OF the New Year to take again our
bearings, to correct our lines, to turn
over a new leaf, to start afresh upon
upward courses, to winnow again the
seed we sow and make sure that it is
all precious and such as will rejoice
us in the harvest time. BY ali the
traditions this is a good time to cease
to 90 evil and learn to do well, to start
afresh on high courses, to strengthen
and build up ourselves in whatsoever
things are pure and noble and of good
report and, laying aside every weight
and every besetting sin, to run with
patience the race set before lis, with our
eyes hxed upon the goal, and the GER
tainty in our hearts that at tho end
we shall receive a crown of life.-N.
Y. Tribune.