Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05

tee omitted from our study verses 31-3a.
which we have included as helpful to a
right appreciation OF the passage. The
word parable literally signifies to put one
thing before or beside another. This mode
OF teaching was held in high favor among
the ancients, because 1t was a form OF
Illustration that excited thought. awakened
pleasurable emotion and helped the MEM
DRY. It was alike agreeable and profitable
to the learned and unlearned. There Is
harmony between the natural and spiritual
worlds. the former being a witness to the
latter. All lovers of truth readily recog-
nize these harmonies and the force OF argu-
ments derived therefrom. To them the
things on earth are copies of things
In heaven. Christ moved in the midst
Of what seemed a WORKOUT world. but
He made It tell out the secrets OF
mans being. He made 1t answer with
strange and marvellous correspondence TO
another invisible world, to help to the pirtn
of great thoughts Of the heart, long strus-
Cling to be born. The parallels of Jesus
display His acquaintance with the sensuous
and the supersensuous realm. and enable
men to pass more readily from one TO the
other
SOWING-In His first parable Oversees
1881 Jesus had made His teaching turn
upon the character of the soil. A man mao
gone forth with good seed. but the proouct
varied in the harvest, according to the
ground upon which it fell. In the parabie
before us He presents the same man iath-
fully depositing good seed, presumably IN
good soil. His work was well done. ana
he repaired to his home to rest, expecting
that In due course Of time he would reap
Verse "a. But when the night came on.
while he sumbered, his enemy came
stealthily into the field. Having sown tares
In the same ground where the wheat had
been cast, he went away (verse 25)- The
act was wholly unknown 1t was done out
of pure mischief. There could be no benent
or pleasure to him who did 1t, except the
pleasure derived from the reflection that an
injury had been done. 1t Is a strange con
dition OF human nature when man takes
delight in annoying anotherA The spirit Is
evil in the extreme.
GROWINGBoth the wheat and the
tares terminated. being Influenced by the
moisture and the same sunlight, nutured
in the same soil (verse 26). For a consider
able time no one could have distinguished
the one from the other. Even the practiced
eye of the farmer was deceived. Looking
over the field he must have thought that
the grain was unusually thick, thrifty and
promising, and he may have congratulated
himself on the abundant yield. But after
ward, when the grain heads out, the tares
are known Hateful and noxious weeds
they We're Volney. writing of the darnel.
which probably our Savior had in mind
says he experienced Ill effects from eating
Its seeds q Travel. ii063). The inmates of
the Sheffield workhouse were attacked
some years ago with serious symptoms. sup
posed TO be produced by their oatmeal
having been adulterated with lodium. which
Is very much the same as the darnel of
Arabia eng. Cycll. 1t was, therefore,
a very great disappointment to the owner
of the field to discover this weed among
the grain, and his servants expressed their
surprise, knowing that good seed had been
cast into the ground (verse 30.
PROPOSING-The explanation was
not far to seek. The quantity and extent
of this ugly growth negatived the supposi-
of n ff1ni hnl1 hold
therefore, inferred that enemy had done
the mischief. Some evil intelligence lies
back of every well-planned wrong. But
what shall be done? Is there any remedy?
1t was proposed that the tares should be
gathered (verse 49, method generally fol-
lowed when the number of weeds is less
Thomson. In his Land and Book" says
that women and children engaged in that
work in the orient. in this country they
pull weeds in the garden. But the man
in the parable saw that this was impracti-
cable. The tares were numerous: they
grew in such close relation with the wheat,
that to pull up one would destroy the other
Let both grow together" Two crops in
the same field. the one valuable. the other
pernicious, the latter spared for the sake
of the other. This was the wisest policy
under the circumstances.
HARVESTING-The time will come
however when the wheat and the tares will
be separated. They grow together but
for distinctly opposite purposes. When the
harvest is gathered the former is alone
valuable ana Is stored carefully in barns
for use prov. lilo. That wheat NAV
be converted into flour, and of that bread
may be made for the support of mankind
See what multitudes live upon the millions
of bushels Of grain raised in the western
states OF this country. 1t was for the wheat
that the farmer sowed his field. But the
tares are useless, and worse than worth
less They must therefore be burned (verse
800. So the farmer instructed his servants,
who were required to wait until the ap-
pointed time. Looking out over the field
one may see stalks growing only to be-
come fuel. Each shall be gathered into
its proper place, the storehouse or the
flames.
NORTHUMBERLAND does all this
mean? 1t was evident that Jesus would not
relate an incident like this merely to make
known what might occur many times in
the history Of Palestine. He Intended to
teach rather than to gossip. His words
were always so serious that all who heard
know they carried some important lesson
The disciples all knew this, but they did
not Immediately ask Him to explain Not
until Jesus had sent the multitude away
and He had gone with His followers into
the house did they approach Him Cverse
36). There was much wisdom and delicacy