life, thy
living--boldly upon the waters, it shall not be lost. You have, in so
doing, intrusted it to the care of Him who loseth nothing; and the
future, though perhaps far off, shall give thee a full harvest for such
sowing. But, to be more explicit, give with a free hand without
carefully considering a limit to thy gifts ("a portion to seven and
also to eight" would seem to have this bearing), for who knows when, in
the future, an evil time to thee may make thee the recipient of others'
bounty.

Can we but admire the harmony, I say again, between the voice of poor,
feeble, limited human wisdom and the perfect, absolute, limitless,
divine wisdom of New Testament revelation:

"For I mean not that other men be eased and ye burdened; but by an
equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for
their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want:
that there may be equality." This is very closely in the same line.
But Solomon continues: Nay, see the lessons that Nature herself would
teach (and he is no wise man, but distinctly and scripturally "a fool,"
who is deaf to her teachings, blind to her symbols). The full clouds
find relief by emptying themselves on the parched earth, only to
receive those same waters again from the full ocean, after they have
fulfilled their benevolent mission; and it is a small matter to which
side, north or south, the tree may fall, it is there for the good of
whoever may need it there.[1]

The accidental direction of the wind determines which way it falls; but
either north or south it remains for the good of man. In like manner
watch not for favorable winds; dispense on every side, north and south,
of thy abundance; nor be too solicitous as to the worthiness of the
recipients. He who waits for perfectly favorable conditions will never
sow, consequently never reap. Results are with God. It is not thy
care in sowing at exactly the right moment that gives the harvest; all
_that_ is God's inscrutable work in nature, nor can man tell how those
results are attained. Life in its commencements is as completely
enshrouded in mystery now as then. No science, no human wisdom has,
or--it may be boldly added--ever can throw the slightest glimmer of
clear light upon it. Thy part is diligence in sowing, the harvest
return is God's care. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening
withhold not thy hand" is wisdom's counsel here, just as a higher
wisdom tea