The Greenville times., 1884-06-07
WILD OATS.
An Elegusnt Sernsa % Tsaag Esn By ths
Esv. Z. A. Holland, Rsstur Of
Trinity Church.
WILD OATS.
fTimes-Democrat.

se'' %sooOAs a. nofiduu, the pop
ular rector of Trinity EpieopaD
Church on Sunday, Jan. q, and
was prepared for publication in
Mondays Times-Democrat of last
week, but owing to the late hour
a.. which the manuscript was re.
ceived it was impossible to print
it in that edition. Such is its in.
trlnslc value, aud so highly has il
been spoken of by the multitude
who listened to the soul-stlrring
words of DIR. Holland, that doubt.
less thousands of our readers will
commend the effort we make to
give them this ethical production.
The reverend speaker selected
for his text the words of st. Paul:
Whatsoever a man soweth' that
shall he reap.n Gal. vi, Z. His
theme was "Wild Oats.n How
they are sown and what is the
harvest, the eloquent divine shows
in the following words:
There is q popular saying that
"every man must sow his wild
oats;' and since there can be no
guilt IN doing what every man
must do, the saying has been ta-
ken by those who are inclined to
that sort of husbandry as a license
to engage actively in it's occupa-
ton. Nay, they are led by the in
fiuence of SO popular and agreea-
BILE an adage to imagine that they
cannot be men without conform
ing to its judgment. Now, wild
oats are the foliies and excesses
OF youth, and to say that every
man must SOW them, means that
all youth must be given more or
less to folly and excess, and such
a meaning may be very easily
stretched to imply that youths
| folly and excpsses are a proof of
the vigor Of the manhood which it
promises. No Impressions could
be throughout more false and
mischiev0us. 1t Is not true that
youth ought to be or must be a
period of dissipation, still less that
its dissipation will have tonic ef-
feet on later character. The pre-
sumption which underlies what
otherwise were so evident q soph.
ism-that age will repent Of youth.
ful sins, having learned wisdom
from an experience of their OWL
is too seldom fulfilled to have a
moments warrant in thought. As
wei. believe, because some miners
survive coal mine explosions, and
are rendered more careful there
by, that coal mine explosions are
a good discipline for miners. For
every man who leaves the vices OF
his youth behind him, ten are pur'
sued and torn to pieces by them,
like Actaon by his hounds. Even
though the vices be left behind
their consequences follow on, and
chase character into paths Il
would have never taken but fol
their pursuit. They weary and
harrass when they have ceased te
bite. Master of his act before /
is committed, man is afterward it'
servant or its victim. In II hs
has made a precedent for future
action. 1t represents his will an,
retains something Of that will'l
own right and power to determine
Notwithstanding this right anS
power are turned against its free
dom. 1t gives a set to certain for
ces of his nature, which If he doe
not move with, he must mov'
against. II raises a wave whicl
will be felt forever either In th'
current or counter-currcnt OF hi
life. Just as in river snag ma.
form o sand bar, and the sand ba
change the current, and the chan
ced current wear a new channe
drawing tho river entirely ava.
from its old bed, so single dec
may change destiny. For in spin
it as In matter force persists. N
bad desire once started ever re
turns to its first repose. II ha
touched thought, and given it a
impetus of evil suggestion whicl
flows on through all thinking; an
as thought becomes outward i
deeds, the deeds-by that othe
law, which also holds as good l
spirit as in matter, namely, tha
, force moves In the direction Q
least Observation-Disclosures the vi
their way, offering it the channt
: of habit whose steep incline rel
ders the flow swifter and swiftel
until evil has the rush of rapids
and its rapids take the plunge 9
a cataract. The old Hindoo sa'
this constraining of the u1ll by Il
own acts and named It karm'
: The Greek saw II aud called 1t n
mesis, and he is blind who n thes