mist. This book must be read always with this in view. It must not be quoted carelessly. The book is unique and must be interpreted in accordance with its purpose, or it can be made to teach harmful error. "But the final conclusions of the book are very wise. They are not, as yet, by any means up to the standard of the light of the New Testament. They are not full of Christ. But they may be taken as giving wisdom of a very practical kind for the conduct of our lives. We who have the New-Testament may go back to get suggestions from Solomon in our .Christian service. - . • • The first six verses of. the eleventh chapter contain a bunch of such rules. I. Give with prodigality, with seeming carelessness. "Cast thy bread on the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days." Perhaps the picture is of the farmer sowing rice on the overflowing waters. It seems to be foolish. The harvest appears in due time. The man who gives out what he has with parsimony never reaps. "Give and it shall be given unto you full measure, shaken down and running over." The true worker has always found that true. It may be he sows with tears, but he sows, and that broadcast, and in unlikely places. Nowhere in the Bible is there a better picture of the right kind of a Christian worker. He trusts his seed to the waters. He sows with seeming improvidence. He gives a "portion to seven and also to eight. He has enough for all.. He-has gotten into an understanding of God's bountifulness and dares to be like Him. When I see such a worker launching.iout I. know God is going-to honor him. Tears, but faith! Seeming improvidence, but an appreciation of God and the methods of His working. God give us such men and women in these days of self seeking. II. The Fullness of the Spirit. Verse third. This is the secret of all this abandon of faith and this sowing beside all waters. "If the clouds be full pf. rain,.they empty themselves on the earth." Only full- ness gives out a full mind and full heart, a rich experience, fullness of love and joy and hope. This is why it was impossible to touch Jesus without getting a blessing. It is a waste of exhortation to tell a man to sow beside all waters when he has nothing to sow. This is the reason of the exhortation,; "Be ye filled with the Spirit." God give us some Spirit-filled ministers in these days.. But if they are to walk in- the nower of the Spirit they must cast their bread upon the waters. ' The Soirit is no private blessing to be nursed. It is for the sake of the next man. It sends "you out. They who scatter, gather. They who keep, lose." Get full, but to keep full, give! III. Get down to business while men live. Dead men cannot be reached. Verse 3. "If the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be." The time comes when our efforts will be of no avail. We work amid living issues and with living men. Now or never! Do what you have to do now—promptly. Do not take it all out in dreaming of the things you are to do by and by. Men are dying. The age is dying.
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