SOWING AND REAPING

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 17, 1857

SOWING AND REAPING.

FIGURES the most impressive it seems that could possibly be used, the Holy Spirit has employed to impress upon men the certainty of their receiving hereafter according to the deeds of this life. That of a sower putting his seed into the ground, and afterwards reaping of the same, is perhaps not the least important. In Gal. vi, 7, 8, we find this solemn admonition: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." In this declaration as in others bringing to view the same event, we see that every ground of complaint as to his final destiny is closed against the sinner; for no man could expect to reap differently from what he had sown. If he will persist in sowing tares, he has no right to expect a crop of anything but tares; and he has no right to complain when he sees the harvest he has to reap. And if he will not sow wheat, he has no right to expect wheat upon any condition. Or if he will not sow at all he has no right to expect a harvest. As Pollok says,

"The husbandman who sluggishly forgot, In Spring to plow and sow, could censure none Though Winter clamored round his empty barns."

The present lifetime then is the world's sowing time, and all mankind are busily engaged putting in the seed and preparing for a future harvest either good or bad. But how many are strewing broadcast, tares, and thorns and brambles, and cast not a serious thought forward to the harvest they are by and by to reap.

"He that soweth to the flesh." What is it to sow to the flesh? To indulge in the works of the flesh; and these are, as enumerated in the previous chapter, "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strifes, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

"They shall of the flesh reap corruption." What is it to reap corruption? Is it we ask, to reap incorruption, and of such an enduring kind too, that a never ending eternity of hell's hottest flames cannot destroy it? We think not. Any being to exist forever whether in misery or happiness, must be incorruptible. No corruptible body can have a never-ending existence. This must be evident to all. And the Apostle tells us, [1 Cor. xv, 50.] that corruption doth not inherit incorruption. And in order that we may be immortal and have endless life, "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." Verse 53. But they shall reap corruption. Can they then live forever in conscious misery, or possess incorruption in the midst of devouring fire? They cannot. Corruption must result in decay and death; and corruption is the harvest which they shall reap for their evil deeds. Hence they shall consume away into smoke, as the Psalmist says, [Ps. xxxviii, 20] or in the words of John the Baptist, be burnt up as chaff. Matt. iii, 12. In direct antithesis to this is the eternal life which they shall reap who sow to the Spirit; that is, follow its teachings and bring forth its fruit.

But there seems to be another important idea connected with the teaching of the Apostle in Gal. vi. We read in verse 6, "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." The word translated, communicate, might be rendered to share, which would make the sense more obvious. Let him that is taught share with him that teacheth him, in all good things. As the Apostle says again in Rom. xv, 27, "If the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things." Then follows the text about sowing and reaping upon which we have already remarked; and following that we read in verse 10, "As we have therefore opportunity, (a conclusion drawn from the preceding reasoning,) let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

But this duty of those who are taught in spiritual things ministering unto the necessities of their teachers, is set forth directly under the figure we are considering, in another place, viz., 1 Cor. ix. 5-7. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty; whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he prospereth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver."

Here the giving is compared to sowing; and mark, he that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. Let them therefore who would withhold their means from the cause of truth, and heap up treasures unto themselves, instead of lending to the Lord, remember that they are only preparing to reap a very scanty harvest; they are only preparing to make themselves ten-fold poorer in the time of gathering. Says the wise man, There is that scattereth and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Prov. xi, 24. What would be thought of the husbandman who in the Spring, should refuse to cast his seed into the ground, but carefully cherish it up in his garner lest he should lose it and come to poverty? The children of this world in their generations are wiser than this. But it is so in spiritual things. An Apostle has declared it and we therefore believe it, that which a man soweth that shall he also reap; and as he soweth, whether bountifully or sparingly, so also shall be his harvest.

And now brethren how are you sowing? How are you improving the present time and opportunities of casting abroad the good seed which shall reward you with an abundant harvest in the kingdom of God? Whether you are faithful or not in this work now, will surely be known; for the day that cometh will declare it. Are you sowing to the flesh, so that you will of the flesh reap corruption? Or are you sowing to the Spirit, and preparing of the Spirit to reap life everlasting? Are you sowing sparingly or bountifully? Are you guilty of that withholding which tendeth to poverty? or are you enrolling yourselves in the ranks of those whom the Lord loveth? for he "loveth the cheerful giver."

Be not deceived; God is not mocked. There is no securing his favor with pretended services which are not real. According to the seed that is put into the ground, so with unerring certainty will be the harvest that will follow. O that the words might sink with their due weight into every heart, "WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP."