In the confidence of this promise the husbandman tills and sows. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. The plant must either grow or die. As its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so is the development of the Christian life.
Sanctification is the work of a lifetime.
As our opportunities multiply, our experience will enlarge, and Page 66 our knowledge increase. We shall become strong to bear responsibility, and our maturity will be in proportion to our privileges. The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. It sends down its roots into the earth. It drinks in the sunshine, the dew, and the rain.