penetrates not, makes no deep impression, but lies loosely on the surface of the heart, till the Evil One, by some attraction, draws off the attention to other things. Of how many hearers of the word is this the painful history! Second case: Rocky places. Ground where a very thin surface of earth covers rock. What means this? Why, immediately the seed springs up, because it has no depth. of earth, and growing without a constant supply of moisture, and having no root, the sun quickly scorches it and withers it up. Hearts superficially impressed are apt to receive the truth with readiness and even with joy; but the heat of temptation, tribulation, or persecution because of the word-the trials which their new profession brings upon them quickly dries up their relish for the truth, and withers all the hasty growth; they first stand aloof, and then find cause of offence. A faithful and awakening ministry can attest many such cases.

them-quickly

Third case: Among thorns. Ground not thoroughly cleaned of thistles, which, rising above the seed, and intertwining, choke and smother it, drawing away the moisture, and excluding light and air. There is softness and depth enough, but anxious, supreme attention to the business of this present life, the deceitfulness of riches, the pleasures of life, and the longings for other things, entering in, the word is choked; and, instead of bearing to perfection, it becomes unfruitful. There is growth and promise, yet no ripe fruit; a fagged, hurried, and heartless formalism is all such show. Of how many hearers is this the disappointing end!

Fourth Case: The good ground. These are they who in a noble and good heart, hear the word, hold it fast, understanding and accepting it, and bearing fruit with endurance, producing in one thirty, in another sixty, and in others a hundred fold.

These things concern us all. Sowing seed, not uprooting plants, is the best work: Make known the Gospel. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. Here is the nature, law, and result of the kingdom of God. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Ye sons of earth, prepare the plough, break up your fallow ground;
The Sower has gone forth to sow, and scatter blessings round.
The Seed that finds a Stony soil, shoots forth a hasty blade;
But ill repays the Sowers toil, soon withered, scorched, and dead.
The Thorny Ground is sure to baulk, all hopes of harvest there:
We find a tall and sickly stalk, but not the fruitful ear.

The beaten path and highway side, receive the seed in vain ;
The watchful birds the spoil divide, and pick up all the grain.

But where the Lord of grace and power, has blessed the happy field;
How plenteous is the golden store, the deep wrought furrows yield?
Father of mercies, we have need, of Thy preparing grace;
Let the same hand that gives the seed, provide a fruitful place.

The king of the kingdom unfolding it. Sowing good seed that it may bear good fruit.

XVII. Wheat and Darnel.

Likened was the kingdom of the heavens to a man sowing good seed in his field; and while men were sleeping his enemy came and sowed over darnel in among the Wheat; and away he went. And when the blade grew and brought forth fruit, then appeared the darnel also. And the servants of the householder, coming near, said to him, Sir! was it not good seed thou wast sowing in thy field? where then has it darnel? And he said to them, A man that is an enemy did this. And the servants say to him, Wilt thou then that we go and collect it? And he says, No, lest at any time, while collecting the darnel, ye should uproot along with it the wheat. Suffer to grow together both until the harvest. And in the harvest season I will say to the reapers, Collect ye first the darnel, and bind it into bundles with a view to the burning

it up; but the wheat be ye gathering into my barn. Matt. xiii. 24-30, 36-43.

His disciples came near to Him, saying: Make quite plain to us the parable of the field. And He answering said, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, AND THE FIELD IS THE WORLD: and the good seedthese are the sons of the kingdom; and the darnel seeds are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the adversary; and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels. Just, therefore, as collected is the darnel, and with fire is burned, so will it be in the end of the world. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will collect out of His Kingdom all the causes of offence, and the doers of lawnessness, and will cast them in the furnace of the fire: there will be the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear let him hear. 36-43.

EXPOSITION.

All these considerations shew the nature of the parable. It is a brief history of the world from Adam and Eve, and Satan sowing his darnel in their hearts till the end. Jesus is not speaking of His Church, His believing people, called the sons of the kingdom, but of the world-THE FIELD IS THE WORLD; not of the good and bad growing together in Christian fellowship: but in the world, in the common transactions of life. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever? Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. Jesus then is speaking of good men and bad men living in the world without uprooting by persecution each other, and of leaving each other to the judgment of heaven-of the Son of Man, at the last day, when unerring separation shall take place, not by men, but by angel reapers; and the darnel seeds, the sons of the Evil One, shall be cast into the furnace of fire, that

D

is, into hell; and the righteous will then shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

All State establishments wrest this parable to favour a mongrel race in their societies, with what fearful results, Rome, Russia, Turkey, France, Germany, Spain, England shew.

It is because there are true Christians that hypocrites exist. The fruit at harvest distinguishes them. In nature there are some plants, belonging to entirely different orders, so remarkably like each other that they can only be distinguished when they flower and fruit. So however like in outward appearance and manner of life the true Christian and the formalist may be, by the fruits which they produce they are distinguishable; the harvest manifests their true character. The wheat and the darnel will then be separated by the Husbandman and Sovereign of the world.

When Thou my righteous Judge shalt come
To fetch Thy ransomed people home,

Shall I among them stand?

Shall such a worthless worm as I,
Who sometimes am afraid to die
Be found at Thy right hand?

The King's law of action in the world.

XVIII. The Lamp.

But no one having lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or beneath a couch puts it, but on a lampstand puts it that those coming in may see the light. For there is not a secret which shall not be made manifest, neither a hidden thing which in any wise may not be made known, and not become manifest. Does the lamp by any means come that under the measure it may be placed, or under the couch? Is it not that upon the lampstand it may be placed?. For it is not hidden except it may be

made visible; neither did it get hidden away, but in order that it might come into a visible place. If any one has ears to hear, let him hear. Mark iv. 21-23. Luke viii. 16-17.

EXPOSITION.

A lamp is lit to give light, and make manifest to all the things in the place. The word is to be proclaimed that it may prove itself a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and judge all who hear it at the last day, when every secret and hidden thing will be made known, and manifested, shewn in its true light. Each is to let his light so shine amongst men, that seeing our good works, they may glorify the Father who is in heaven. The true light shone in deepest darkness, and the signs of the coming salvation appeared with brighter lustre, because of the universal gloom. As with the true light of the world, so with every lesser light that He kindles to be a revelation of himself, it shineth in darkness. This is pre-eminently true of the Church. Its light is beautifully symbolised by the seven-branched lampstand which stood in the holy place of the tabernacle. The common light of day was excluded by the coverings of goats' hair and badgers' skins; and a profound darkness created within. In this mystical darkness, the perfumed light of the golden lampstand shone unceasingly as a token that the light of the Church is not the light of nature, but the light of grace; that, darkness itself, it is illuminated by the spiritual light which the Lord of the Church supplies. It was the duty of Aaron to trim this lampstand and supply it with the needful oil and keep its golden stem and branches bright, and its lamps perpetually burning. And as the light of Christ thus shines in the darkness of the Church, so the Church thus enlightened shines in the darkness of the world, Ye are the lights of the world, He said, to that inner circle of disciples, the immediate