Setting Aside the Seed

The question of saving and conserving is always a matter for serious consideration. The basic virtue of thrift for the future has been taught from time immemorial, and the wisdom of it has been providently and repeatedly proved. Saving is one of the essentials of soundness and solvency and security. It is also one of the essentials of self respectfor a person who persistently and perennially spends more than he makes, finds himself in the position of explaining and apologizing to himself and to others also. But solvency needs no explaining. Solvency explains itself. There are many immediate wants and there are emergencies that must be met, but in meeting immediate wants we should not forget future needs, and we should not forget that there may be future emergencies for which we must also be prepared, as well as being presently prepared. We should always seek to consume less than we have. We should always seek to save something for the foreseeable and for the unforeseeable future. We should seek to conserve our resources, and always set aside a part of every harvest, and always set aside the seedthe seed that we shall need for another planting, if we would have another harvest. Both in times of plenty and in times of pressure it is flagrantly shortsighted to consume the seed. We shall have much less reason to fear the future if we work willingly, and wisely use the resources of the present, and always save and conserve for meeting the demands that lie beyond the immediate momentremembering always to save a part of every harvest and always to set aside sufficient seed for the planting of another spring and for the harvest of another autumn. It is well to use with prudence what the providence of God has given.