New-York tribune., 1874-02-23
wAYsIDE SEEDS NOT ALWAYS LOST.
~, Eer Dr. TauIor. at te BrOad,cay Taberna,Ie.


often grew and bore better fruit than that which had
heen carefully planted for definite result In the most
earnest and impressive manner he warned his hearers
against lett ne fall through careessness or nderence
any hOlesome seed lest 1t sprout AND neu'raze 'ne
good they had carefully placed ia the soil lie tooK MS
taxt from Luke viii s. And he sOwed some feI DS
the wayslde." Dr. Taylor spoke in the main as folows'
Itis not my present intention TO expound the paraDe
70 which the words OF my text belong It's inerpeta
tion has been given by the Master himself Tin words so
clear that the least intelligent reader can comprehend
their meaning The aegory was designed TO Illustrate
the different effects that are produced in different Souls
by the preaching Of the word 1t meant as warn
ing 10 the hearer rather Than for instruction to the
preacher Notwithstanding this, 1t suggests many
thoughts Of great value Christian workers, and 1t Is
10 one which has Of late been frequently Dciore
ng own mind that desire TO direct your attention. we
wouli be wrong to suppose that wayside seeds are
always lost. The pathway NAV be understood 10
represent either the way along when the
sower passed to the field wherein he in
tended to scatter his grain. we may suppose 1t TO
have been one OF those ste paths through the HELD
which Kept in the old country for the convenehce
Inn ms too fun hand or as he scattering them
went further than he wo OF ana iel on tne haT M
used TO symboze seeds of influence dropped by us M,
consciously are proceeding to some special heu OF
llhor which have selected or they may be taken 10
illustrate the overflow of an effort Taxing them IN the
sense of words dropped on hardened heart they must
inS1ence casually let fall ny Christian worker and
nniing their way to a different ground from that in
which he intended to cast them, they are often emil
The thought winch I mean. this morning. 20 ampfy,
Illustrate and enforce Is that often the CHRISTIAN WORKER
does great good incidentally when his chief design mas
been other than 70 benefit the individual or cas Whch
has pFodcd by the influence he unwittngy cast among
then There are three sources. from which few Illus
FIRST shall take Christian literature. The principal
Of that % s logic ana ana p1GOPnS eps
similarity between Gods workings as represented IN
the books Revelation and his operations, as seen by
men constitution and course of nature This de-
sgu for moment lost sight Of yet In It's prose
which in subsequent literature have produced valuable
fruit Indeed, / know OF no book except the Bible,
grown ana pro iuced good fruit this Of Buffers.
DR. Taylor here showed how thoughts which Butler
mad casually dropped had been picked up by theological
writers who succeeded him, been ampllfed and used as
powerful arguments in support Of the doctrine OF Chris
Secondly Leavngthe field Of literature, Jet US look into
that OF Christian experience. take my first illustration
from the history of the Lord Himself am aware that
a. Ilc God well as man, we can scarcely SPEAK
with propriety OF anything that came from Him as
casual or incidental, yet think in incident an
instance of the kind OF resu; OF winch have been speak
ins la the Xith chapter of Lukes gospel Is recorded
that he ceased PRAYING on certain occasion one
o. his disciples said To him LORD teach us 10 pray as
John also taught his disciples In answer Jesus gave
that beautiful and comprehensive prayer which We all
know well and love so much; Now we care moi say
that m praying before His disciples He had thought
OF influencing them by His example still do not be-
lleve Tins was His chef design The fact that ne was
praynC-a who had 10 confess and no forgiveness
TO oask-suggesied His disciples His own deep need
that found uerance in the entreaty Lord teach us TO
pray" Hence, from what may call a wayslde seed
sprsug tue Lords Prayer ana all the blessed results
which tayc followed ITS repetition. Angel James OF
Birmingham converted by the sight OF an appren-
ce kreug before his he'd before retiring for :he night
ia, uOt probable that this apprentice thinking OF
Ja1.as Bu. If he had not knelt that night perhaps
Iuurs would never have been converted. An incident
Wth, Ee this, seems TO have been beyond the p0ssl-
bfy OF doubt casual brought about the conversion
ut JOhn Bunyan. Two Christian women in the streets
BudlOrd entered into conversation with each other
ou be subject OF personal religious experience Sn-
tfof flaul bpLVGy
ssii hat they said gave him that peace iOr Wch ne
ION of Ebene2er Erskne whose name is vener-
able to all as that OF the founder OF the
have heard that sentinel IN one Of the long galleries
Gibraltar to knowledge OF the truth through
hearing pious ejaculation uttered in supposed loneli
mess 10y man who was mounting adjacent guard
aud very lately were told beautiful story OF IKE
among the soldiers Of scottish regiment in the Crmea.
one evening after an unusually suitry day. ne ett ms
for short walk in the hope OF being nygorated
thereby II was clear, cold, frosty night, aud MS he
looked up 'and beheld the brilliant stars sparkling IN
frame their brightness reminded MIN OF the
rsusomed before the throne and he at once began to
sIOg the weuknOwn paraphrase;
How bright these glorious spirits shine!
How 1sls caSs they 70 the bS.sfaI sea-.
OF everlasting dsyi
nv the mex. morning he had forgotten that he had
been engaged. but in conversation with one OF the
meu he learned that the person who told him the story
mad gone out with his gun ready loaded TO commit sui
eide but had been prevented from committing The
guilty act by oyerhearDg nun III MS song OF praise ana
These and cases similar to these, which an acqqaint
ance with Christian biography enables me TO multiply
almost indefinitely if lad the time clearly prove that
unoonscOusly Christaniworkersihave greatly benefited
pass now TO the department OF Christian work
not think OF the influence OF his example on Others ms
design is 10 do the work which ne mas under
tAAen hs eIanPiei edeiv nn, NV ma as wavsde seed
Ike the fruitful bOugh tue tree or Christian effort
seen not only Slthn M own rSonds ~ fine snesSeT
then narrated in fOrcble language the circumstances
that led TO the conversion 10 the Christian talt OF
inca who subsequently became eminent misson shnd
aries to uDconverted regions or dlsung9shseG
preachers OF the Gospel in their own landl
But need not say in this connections other IN
stances must be suggested TO you by the drift OF my
nrst relates to individual effort Let Christian aborers
be encouraged by the facts which have to-day pre-
results from direct work, there many indirect
consequences which you cannot until the day shall
make them manifest. Philosophers tell that IN the
msteual universe no particle OF matter is anDl
hlsed, and we may say with truth that modcum OF
effort Is lost. Even the smallest genuine seed OF
work may grrmuate into an hundred fold larger
than It's rgiua self. We SOW IN single seeds, reap
in ears. we sow in handfuls, reap in sheavcs; we
sou iu days and weeks and years, We Isbal reap in
eternty Not only in our Indirect laOOrs parents,
oy oreaehers or teachers, otherwise, are we
sowing we are ever casually dropping some grains by
.rter traveller and TO glorfy God But We must all
In mind that a solemn responsibility rests upon us each
ana all must ever be on our gnard agaihst allow ng
any bad seed become mingled WITH those from which
ws expect good fruit We are tod IA dIeieht pssases
of the Bible. aud all must nave pefsonalS % & u III
nature that bad seed seems 10 spring up uu
wholesome weeds quicker than g0Od steu sPIouts auu
reaches see to IL, therefore. that you et
DO bad seed lest II grow ana nentralIe tbe goo",
care that actions in every day life are III accoIu
pnco with tue principles which you have piOmuIhafu
as preachers OF teachers; that your NE is CONSISTENT
with what you have told your ieoH-men were your re
ugious convictions, fOr ever lived without nOld
tux 20 greater or less extent, at least influencing
ono else Let no one thnk that IN exmbitlng an
Indifference 10 religious subjects they endanger only
their own souls because OneIs may be led by their
.mple INTO a Ike falacy. This Is fearful rcspOnsl
Dty that rests upon Us. snd we uust be waehfu
Ih,t wa uT0ye ourselves worthy Of 10.
Tse second practical reflection 10 which referred
concerns fs society for which your contributions
m Mizsio