Sore difficulties beset us in working out a clear and harmonious theory
of the judgment and its issues. But blessed be God that we can rest in
the belief that all will be, in ways that we see not, so wisely and
righteously ordered by the Judge of all the earth, as to satisfy the
yearning heart, not of the great Father only, but of the Redeemer of
humanity, and to fill the universe with praise. Here as elsewhere, when
we are bewildered and perplexed by thoughts too high for us and which
reach too far, we find a sure refuge and rest in faith. We believe God
in Christ, and we can leave our future and the future of humanity in His
hand. Meanwhile, our work, our duty is clear: "_Now then we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you
in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God._" "_This is the work of God,
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent._" "_Other foundation can no
man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ._" "_Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved._"

But this is beside the scope of the present discourse. I have to
consider what these words, so strangely misapplied, do mean, and to draw
from them those most pregnant lessons concerning the conduct of life
which they are intended to afford. "_Cast thy bread upon the waters: for
thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to
eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the
clouds be full of ram, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the
tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the
tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not
sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest
not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb
of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who
maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not
thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or
that, or whether they both shall be alike good._"

I. The key to the passage, the broad idea which underlies the whole, is
in the first verse. In the sixth verse the writer repeats the thought
under a varied form, and it is evident that it rules the whole. Let us
ask ourselves what it means. It is a fair question whether we have here
a reference to a popular proverb descriptive of the most useless and
apparently hopeless work, "c