The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-30
BREAD MUST Be CAST
WHERE It WILL GROW
Rev. Fred Chenault, Speaking At
Broad-Strcct Church, Talks On
unexpected Returns"
TWO EXPLANATIONS ARE GIVEN
Declares We Do Not Give Ourselves
arG Money for What We Expect In
Return, for Love Has It's Own Re-
wards In JOY.

street church. taking as his subie,.,
Unexpected Returns" The body of
ms sermon was cleaned from the text,
Cast thy bread upon the waters, for
nous shalt find it after many days.
He said. in part:
Two explanations of this curious
expression have been made Som
have thought that the expression is
an allusion to the sowing of rice
or OF other grain from a boat durir <
the .nundation of certain rivers os-
pecially the River Nile. Sown thus
on the surface of the water the grain
sinks to the bottom and there finds
a resting place in the silt and rich
aliuvium. and by and by when the
waters have receded there Is brought
forth an abundant harvest There Is
also another explanation of this text.
In the East bread is made into thin
fiat cakes. II these be thrown upon
the stream they will float for while
and then sink, but unlike the grain
VIII yield no returns. Thus to throw
bread away Is an extravaganza. The
text. therefore, suggests TO us that
many of our services that seem to be
wasteful really carry in them the
germs OF new life. 1t IS our business
to cast the seed in the ground. it's
the work of God to see that they
grow. Often times VIC see the harvest
In unexpected ways and even though
We may never see 1t. 1t is never the
less a harvest. God does not promise
TO show us everything. but He does
promise that nothing that We do in
His name shall be lost, even to the
giving OF cup of cold water
Service OF Humility.
The service of love is always the
service of humility We do not give
Afy-aa n e. T.
pect in return. for love has it's own re-
ward In Joy. The word spoken or
the deed done. when inspired by an
unself1sh motive, at once sets In mo-
ton the moral laws OF the universe
that In their exactness yield a har-
vest. though unseen, that Ia Just aq
abundant and just as inevita BILE as
In any harvest OF wheat that men
have garnered from the fields where
the grain was thrown broadcast He
whose work is most likely 10 live IL
least conscious OF its permanency.
know a woman who does a great
many commendable things, but who
spoiis Il all by lack OF humility in
The performance OF the same. Sup
pose you wanted To help somebody
and be an inspiration to him Would
YOU say to that person. I've come
10 help Won. I've come 10 inspire you,
] have come 10 make you noble II
Sc you would stunt the harvest be-
forc II grew. 1t is a quite unselfsh
giving Of ones self without ostenta-
ton thar really wins and wears
know young lady who is do
In settlement work. hut she doesn't
mingte with the children with an air
o. superiority or impress the people
n that community with the idea that
she is uplifting" them. She assumes
mother a spirit OF arrogance nor OF
eondescensiou. That's the reason the
children love her and that's the rea-
son she is doing a splendid work. 4
man must throw away his life 70 save
1t and cast it out, as 1t were. upon the
waters expecting no returns, Men
who really give themselves do not go
around counting the cost nor esti-
mating tho returns. ID There are
often unexpected returns from simple
deeds OF kindness
Influence of Kind Deed.
You can never measure the In
nuence OF a Kind deed or generous
word OF mercy A man arose in an
experience meeting one night and
gave a splendid testimony TO his
changed life. He had made many un-
successful attempts to live manly
life and had failed repeatedly. and
had at last been driven to despera-
ton. He said: AS / stood one night
beneath the tower OF Saint PauIs, in
London. Lord Shaftesbury. that noblo
man OF God, put his hand upon my
shoulder and. calling me by name
said. You'll be a man yet 1t nerved
me and gave me new gleam OF hope
and l said. BY Gods help l WILL and
| am here tonight to testify that il
was his kindness 10 me in this hour
that saved me from suicidal death. q"
Cast thy bread upon the waters for
thou shalt find It after many days,
A business man In Richmond some
time age related to me a very inter
esting and inspiring incident He
said that a number or years ago he
splendid promise. But he began to
live little beyond his income and
the temptation TO appropriate some
OF the money for himself was so great
that he yielded to IL. The young
man, once detected, realized the
gravity OF his offense, but he said
that not the best but the worst in
this young man had been revealed.
and he desired. IL possible, to help
70 bring out the finer qualities of his
manhood. He sent him. therefore. to
some friends in New York, having
written them previously and stated
the circumstances. They accepted
him. being fully aware of his past
record. For quite while he proved
most satisfactory, but again he yield
ed TO the old temptation and seri-
ously jeopardized his chances. His
employers there appealed to his form
er employer in Richmond as TO what
they should do. He sent for the
young man to come to Richmond: he
seemed to he very penitent. tho old
friend forgavc him, but caused him
TO look the facts of such conduct
square in the face. With another let
ter he sent him to New Orleans 10
some friends there who accepted him.
knowing the facts. But the young
man left this time fully determined
TO make good and TO prove his graft
tude for such generosity. He has
made good and continues to make
good and his employers there write.
"If you have any more like him send
them to us" Cast thy bread upon
the waters. for thou shalt find il after
many days" (2) Sometimes in the
humble line of duty we find, unexpect-
ed returns
I sometimes hear those who in the
best way that they know are discharg-
ing their simple duty, but who fear
that somehow they are not making
any real contribution TO the good OF
others. He who does his simple duty
and does 1t sincerely and does II with
a pure motive need not fear that God