The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-10-28
THE HARVEST Is IN THE SEED.

THE HARVEST is IN THE SEED.
! A Sermon by the Rev. L. X. Probst Of the
Lutheran Church In Charleston, S. G.
Galations 6: 7and 8: "Be not deceived
God is not mocked; for whatsoever man
soweth that shall he also reap. For he
reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
spirit shall of the spirit reap life eyerlast-
| ing"
In considering this text we will look
first at the principle announced: "What.
soever man soweth, that shall he also
reap" We will observe next the causes
that prevent men from realizing the truth
of this principle, and, in conclusion, we
will notice some of the consequences Of
sacrificing this principle. First, then,
the principle announced in the text,
"Whatsoever man soweth, that shall he
also reap"
The law of nature is that like produces
like. The character of effects always
corresponds with the character of causes.
If man takes arsenic he cannot expect
to be nourished by it, because its nature
is essentially different from food. The
same law prevails in the system of prov.
idence. If man be indolent, his indo.
lence will be invariably succeeded by
want and disgrace.
God has shown His wisdom and love
in this arrangement. Were it otherwise
everything would be arbitrary. The
relation between means and ends would
cease; the harmony Of nature and prov.
idence would be destroyed; q strange
contrast would everywhere appear. The
great practical use of the works of crea-
ton would then be lost upon us. It
would be no more felt. Bewildered amid
so much disorder, ne should be unable to
trace Jehovah in the productions of His
skillful hands, and, like savage contem-
plating the hieroglyphics Of Egypt, we
should look upon the mysterious emblems
of nature without intelligence or profit.
The same law, namely, that causes and
effects agree with each other, belongs to
Christianity. whatsoever man soweth,
that shall he also reap" The spiritual
world in this respect is an exact counter
part of the natural world.
Begin with the natural government of
God, and you find there this principle.
Pass a step higher to His providential
government, and you observe the same
principle. Proceed yet farther to the
moral government Of God, where His
intelligent creation moves in solemn
review before you, and you discover the
same principle.
1t is beneath the dignity of such a
being as God to administer His moral
government on any other ground than
that of fixed and unchanging principle.
Man may act from caprice or impulse, but
God never can. All His laws are immu-
table. Their operation is suspended on
no contingency, their execution is modi-
fed by no accidental circumstances. Sin
in this State of existence will be punish
ed with its appropriate penalties in the
next condition of existence
The force of this truth may be lessened
by the separation of earth and hell from
each other; the idea of futurity may
diminish the influence of the present, but
it will surely happen that if man SOW
to the flesh he shall of the flesh reap
corruption.
If the fact be denied that sin will be
punished in eternity it must follow that
our temporal condition is not probation
ary. Can this be admitted? Is there
any ground for such supposition? If
earth be not theatre of probation then
what is it? If we be not here for trial,
then for what are we bere2
No man can receive the doctrine of
Immortality and honestly deny future
State of punishment. The only idea of
Immortality that any candid mind can
entertain is the continuation of our exis-
tence in obedience to the same general
principles under which that existence is
now maintained. Revelation always
exhibits it in this light. Any other con-
ception of immortality is directly and
violently at variance with every thought
and impulse of the soul.
Are men in earnest when they tell as
that sin will meet with no doom in the
next world? Then their Immortality is
an Immortality without moral character,
an Immortality that has no connection
with either justice or mercy-an immor-
tality that has no relation to time and no
bearing upon the great purposes of me-
diatorial government. We cannot con-
ceive of such an Immortality.
The first thing that presents itself to
US in the opening path of eternity is the
Judgment seat of Christ. The resurrec-
tion Of the dead is Immediately succeeded
By our appearance before that high tri-
bunal. Thus we are taught that we can.
not enter on our final allotment without
coming in contact with the throne of
God. If the flaming sword has been
removed from the gate of Eden, it has
been placed over the portal of eternity.
No cherubim holds it, but the Lord ON.
nipotent. Unrepented guilt cannot shun
it, for Jehovah has sworn in His wrath
that He will ayenge the honor of His
Son. He has said, "The wages of
sin is DEATH" GLOW shall We escape"
therefore, eff We neglect so great saliva
tion?"
We turn now to consider, briefly, the
causes that prevent men from realizing
the truth of this principle: "Whatsoever
man soweth, that shall he also reap"
You might name to me many causes why
men refuse 10 fall in with Gods plan of
salvation why they do not, as the Saviour
expresses it, "Sow to the spirit and reap
life everlasting" You may say, and
Justly, that men confound morality and
religion; that they do not appreciate the
difference between the one, which is
earthly, and the other, which is heavenly ;
that they do not realize that one is based
on human principles, the other founded
on divine love; that the one is iudepen.
dent of Christ, the other dwelling in
Him. You may say that men justify
their conduct on false grounds; that they
have wrong views of the atonement, and
will not understand the clear teaching of
the Bible. Yes, there arc many causes,
it is true, but the efficient cause of all is
Satan. Rightly has he been styled the
"god of this world" and with an iron
hand does he rule his subjects. Truly
has it been said that he "binds" the
minds of men. AS long as he is able to
prevent it, you may be sure the light of
truth will not be admitted into the mind
and heart.
He is called the "fatber of lies" and
he puts this lie into the heart of man
lie which will bring to many a one
.....1 l.,t.,ot;oo II tho Hordon of