St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-10-31
il We faint not ought to keep the Chris.
tian steadfast and hopeful through ill
the trying, dark days of waiting.

tian steadfast and hopeful through Ill
the trying. dark days of waiting.
| MOT only is the harvest timely, but II
~ Is proportionate. Much sowing and
faithful cultivation will produce larger
crop than scant sowing and careless
cultivation. "He that soweth sparing-
~ shall reap also sparingly," is the
declaration of Gods word. This is true
in the realm Of nature, and why should
1t be thought strange in the spiritual
realm. Joash, king of Israel, shooting
the arrow at the bidding of the prophet.
Elisha, and his shifting of the ground
three times and then staying his hand
when he should have smitten five or
six times. gives us picture of the Chris
| tian who is ehalf-hearted in his work Of
sowing. And because the sowing is
half-hearted and scant, the reaping is
in like ratio. Be not weary in we'll
doing at the time of sowing of the seed
nor afterwards in cultivating the crop,
for WEAKNESS will lessen the yield. A
bl1ghted field is sad sight. I remem-
through sections where the shriveled,
parched and stunted corn gave no hope
for the harvest time. The fierce heat
had baked the ground and shrunk up
the corn. And the Christians fields are
Scared and disf1gured by the fierce heat
OF temptation and trial. Well doing
would keep the blasting rays away from
h,,f hoG hononon
weak and faint-hearted, temptation and
trial win easy conquests. Be not weary
in the well doing which guards. the field
after 1t is planted, which waters and
cultivates the growing crop, which waits
patiently until the due season of reap
ing. for the reaping is proportionate not
only to the sowing, but to the faithful
ness and patience of the cultivation.
THE ripened grain and fruits are q
1 sum in addition. Into that kernel
OF wheat and into that yellow peach and
rosy apple have been pressed the sun.
shine and cloud, the dew and the rain,
the fresh air above and the soft nour-
ishing earth beneath. Not a day can
be spared out of its existence. Each
day since the apple blossom had opened
to the rays of the warming sun it has
been busy developing and growing.
Nourished by the parent stem, wet by
the dew and kissed by the sun to-day,
it has needed the next day and the next
for further development and growth.
And thus 1t has gone on and on. The
half-grown apple has swelled to the pro-
portions of maturity, the green dress
has mellowed to a yellow hue tinged |
with crimson, its hard heart has soft
ened to state Of edibility. and all be-
cause the necessary days have counted
off to the due season Of reaping. AnG
so it is with the Christian. Each day
each experience, must add something to
his life and character that will contrib |
ute to the day of reaping. All the days |
are needed. The sunshine of to-day, the |
rain and storm of tomorrow, the cold |
and the heat.
A ND the ripened grain and fruits are
time brings with it the possibilities of
future harvest days. The kernel OF
wheat under proper conditions may
itself MANIFOLD. The grain as
it crowds the bin after harvest rustles
in its impotence to be out again and
performing newer and larger mission.
The Christians time Of harvest is his
commission to larger and better effort
The time Of reaping is not the time of
of labor. It marks the call to
more sowing, more patient cultivation
and more certain reaping. The harvest
gathered is warrant for the preparation
for the harvest yet to be. Let us not
be weary in we'll doing: for in due sea-
son we shall reap, if we faint not" "He
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
precious seed, shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing, bringing his
sheaves with him.