38 THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 



I 



darkness. The time will, however, assuredly come, 

 when a far larger and more rapid increase shall follow 

 the exertions of the spiritual sower. The Gospel 

 which in its propagation, now resembles an " handful of 

 corn sown in the earth upon the top of the mountains," 

 will then bear its fruit in a majestic harvest that shall 

 every where shake like the forest of Lebanon. (Psalm 

 Ixxii. 16.) Then also will be experienced the fulfilment 

 of that prophecy, " Blessed are ye that sow beside all 

 waters," (Isaiah xxxii. 20,)* which alludes to the 

 happiness of those who cast their seed, as the inhabi- 

 tants of Egypt do, in lands recently watered by the 

 river Nile, or sow in the confidence of an abundant 

 increase. To every period of the church of God, there 

 is however a measure of the same success, unequivocally 

 assured ; for by a similar metaphor, Israel was cheered 

 during the Babylonian captivity, and every faithful mem- 

 ber of the church militant upon earth may therefore take 



* Or more properly, according to the Hebrew, " upon all 

 waters." So the Septuagint Version renders, and the Genevan 

 Bible. * This (says Sir J. Chandler in his travels) exactly answers 

 the manner of planting rice ; for they sow it upon the water ; 

 and before sowing, while the earth is covered with water, they 

 cause the ground to be trodden by oxen, horses and asses, who 

 go mid-leg deep : and this is the way of preparing the ground 

 for sowing.' 



