The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1906-04-27

i
ence; but all these tell for Christ only
as the person is an outspoken Chris
tian. We must not stay at home and
expect the field to come to us. We
must go out into the highways and
hedges" and try to make "the wilder
ness blossom" as we'll as our fertile
gardens. The home the school, the
church, the shop. the mission, the
slums-all are part of the farm given
us to TILL
Wayside Sowing. Some (seed) fell
by the wayside." Grain fields in Pal
estine are seldom fenced, and both
pedestrians and beasts of burden use
freely the narrow paths intersecting
them. And the fowls of the air (R
", "birds') came and devoured it,"
10. The Interpretation. when they
have heard" They are not oppos-
ers, they receive reed; but they re-
ceive the truth as they are without
the soil of their natures being
changed. "-Spurgeon They do not
understand Matt. 1870. because
they are not prepared to understand.
/ Moreover, Satan cometh immediate
! ly," like the birds in the field. land
! taketh away the word" He has many
bills to peck at It! He will destroy
the effect of good sermon by crit
icism of the preachers mannDr. or the
INSTRUMENTATION of word. Into the
midst of an impressive prayer he will
insinuate a business worry. He will
Offset a revival by frivolous amuse.
ment. And when we are about to obey
the truth he will say, "Some other
time. Put it off,"
Sowing on Shallow Soil s. Some
! fell on stony Or. ", rocky ground"
Not on ground strewn with boulders,
for the soil among them is 'the rich
est the earth produces, consisting of
decomposed basalt from the stones. -
Tristram. But the seed fell on fiat
rock thinly covered with only an inch
or so of soil. The dry, underlying
rock held the suns heat like hot-bed,
and forced the seed so that "immedi.
ately it sprang up
G. But when the sun was up it was
and burned up by the overheated soil.
The rock prevented their reaching
down where it was cool and moist.
16. The Interpretation. These are
! the hearers that receive the word 'im.
mediately," and with gladness." Of
course, Christ is not obiecting to
promptness in receiving him. OF his
noblest disciples it is recorded that,
when he called them. they immedi-
ately left the ship and followed him."
But there is promptness of decision,
and there is promptness of frivolity.
always, like the Athenians, ready for
a new thing. The first is like the com.
pass needle, which, when released
from the clamp, turns promptly and
| faithfully to the north; the second is
like the weather-vane.
II. The trouble is that these hear
ers have no root in themselves" They
are moved by temporary enthusiasm
and not by an inward conviction. They
| have followed the crowd rather than
! Christ. And the test comes when
afliction or persecution ariseth for the
words sake"
Sowing Among Thorns. 7. and
some fell among thorns." Among the
seeds of thorns or briers, which after
wards came up.'-Int. Crit. Com. And
choked it. and it yielded no fruit"
10. The Interpretation. This class
of persons also hear the word" like
the others.
10. "And the cares of this world"
First kind of brier; worries; not bus
mess, but over-anXiety about bust
ness. And the deceitfulness OF
riches" Second kind of brier; greed
for gold, which deceives by promising
pleasure and ease when 1t only brings
care. Not riches. but deceitful riches,
riches in which men trust (see Mark
! 1920. "And the lusts of other
things" Third kind of brier; pleas
ure; not joy, of which the Christian
life is full, but pleasure become lust,
a passion, the end of life having be-
come amusement. These thipgs-bus-
mess, money, recreation-are right
and necessary in moderation, strictly
subordinated to the higher life of the
soul. used merely as our tools; but
when they take possession of us, rule
our thoughts and almost monopolize
our time, they throttle all our nobler
! faculties.
Sowing in Good Ground. s. "And
other fell on good ground" This, of
course, was the greater part of the
seed, as IL is in all sowings of the
word. my word shall not return unto
me void" lisa. 55:1D. "And brought
forth, some thirty, and some sixty,
and some an hundred times the orig
inal seed. Sixteen years ago a small
coffee plant was sent to Blantyre.
Africa, and from 1t five million coffee
| trees have since been derived. How
like the growth of good seed and its
! influenced"
20. The Interpretation. The good
ground hearers are not merely hear
the word" but receive 1t" lin good
and honest heart" Uuke), and hold
/ il fast" Their minds are eager for
the truth, they listen or read attentive
Iv thav mediate and nray over AZ