Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1912 — LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD SERMON BY REV. GREENE. [ARTICLE]

LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD SERMON BY REV. GREENE.

Second Week of Evangelistic Services Begun With Added Interest—Large Choir Gathers Nightly. Another large audienee was but Monday night to attend the union evangelistic services at the Presbyterian church. The large choir, wbich forms a part of each evening service, sang many songs unde the direction of Horace J. Kurtz, and the audience caught the inspiration of the songs and joined heartily. The singing is being greatly improved by his energetic leadership and the song service whicn precedet the sermoq is worth going a long way to hear. The choir is increasing in size, the music in excellence volume and is adding much zest to tin meetings. Monday night P. Greor.c formerly pastor of the Baptist chuich, delivered the sermon in his characteristic ;utl enthusiastic manner He held thi closest attention of the large audience. He selected tor his text Gala.ians 6:7, 8. “Be not deee'.ved; God is not. mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. F6r he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.” i His subject whs “Sow'ng and Reaping” and he said in rart: The momeht we land In this worla law grirs us. The lew of sequence lays its hands upon us, and some things /ollow as uatural results ol our living. T,he law pf consequence lays held of us and certain things follow as natural results of our own doings. Wo cannoi ev?'de these. Wc also come into contact witn the law of generation; 1 fee producing like. The law of seed time and uarvest. The law of sin and righteousness. For these there ere paralle’s in the spiritual realm. Indeed, the nat ural may, after all, be but a parable of the spiritual. As we cannot cheat the natural laws of our being, neither can we cheat the spiritual laws; the moral laws; God’s laws. Therefore “be not deceived; God is not mocked.’’ Yet how many there are who are apparently deceiving themselves, hoping- to receive God’s approval and reap the rewards of a righteous life while sowing the seeds of unrighteousness. “WQiatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” All are sowers, whether we will or no. We cannot help it. It is a part of the law of our beings. One of those sequences that grip us: But we have the power to efioose the kind of seed and the character of the sowing. * \Ve sow in two fields. The field about us and the field .within us. There is also the carnal field and the spiritual field and we are to chose which we shall cultivate. As we sow something goes out from us as influence, and something within us as effect, and character. The seed may be compared to thoughts, desires, words, deeds, ambitions, faith in unbelief, obedience or disobedience.

For every sowing time there comes the harvest time. “That shall he also reap.” We cannot escape the reaping time qny more than we can the sowing time. Effects come back as the harvest of deeds that were the casual seed. “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” He shall reap the natural product of his sowing. Does he sow wild oats? Then the resulting harvest be must gather. They come back, not as wheat of righteousness, but the sorrowful harvest .of wild and recKlesf doing. We cannot sow disobedience to God and reap the Divine approval. We canrtot sow unbelief and reap the results of faith. We cannot sow falsehood and reap truth. The harvest will be the same in kind, and this law holds good with reference to a nation, state, or city as with the individual. We sow saloons mid reap drunkards, criminals, prison « pens, almshouses, potter’s fields. Sow gree£ and covetousness and reap graft, defaulting, bank wrecking and all kinds of dishonesty. Sow ftigaretts and reap tmbecilerEow license and lust and reap debauchery slavery. Sow irreverence, and reap profanity and blasphemy. Sow vulgarity and reap looseners in morals. Yes we reap the same in kind. We reap the same in kind with its naturU! increase. f-- ■ The prophet Hosea speaks of one who sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind. Tremendous increase, that But the other side of the text speaks of another kind of sowing that produces a more satisfying crop. “Sow to the Spirit and reap eternal- life.” David says that "“They that sow in tears shall reap hi Joy.” He that goeth forth and weepetb. bearing pre-

clous seed for sowing, shall doubtless return again with joy bringing Ijls sheaves with him. Sow prayers, reap peace, power and praise. Sow Godly living and reap eternal rewards. Sow to the Spirit and reap eternal life. What kind of seed are you sowing? The service’ begins each week evening at 7:15 o’clock; the song service lasting a half hour. You can hear the sermon if you don’t get to the church until near 8 o’clock, but you may have to stand up. Come' early and enjoy the entire service. .