Morris tribune., 1906-04-07
COLUMN
By J. c. shetland.
The Parable of the Shower.


A preacher went forth to preach
No discount ON the seed, the word of
God. When I was boy I saw farm
ers soak the seed corn to make it
grow quicker. When I became a man
[ knew preachers to soak the good
seed of the kingdom in prayers and
tears and the Holy Spirit.
l Some fell by the wayside where
the ground was hard, and in no con-
dition to receive the seed. Many who
hear the word are in no condition to
receive it. Some come to hear the
music, the organ, the piano, the
orchestra, the solo, the Duet and the
music of this evening is we'll worth
coming to hear, and fitted to the
gospel message. But some come be-
cause Chez Or (she) will be there
Some come like the Scotch workman
"just to ease the feet and think OIL
nothing. Some find it good place
to sleep. DR.. Chaplin said of his dis
tinguished parishioner, Horace
Greedy, that if not one of the main
pillars, he was at least one Of the
main sleepers.
Have the fowls of the air quickness
in catching up seed dropped by the
Wayside? So quickly the little devils
of distracting influence catch away
the good thoughts sown on careless
hearts. Hear them cackle of preach
err and sermon. One not hungry is
easily Offended at the shape of dishes.
So the soul not hungry for truth is
disgnsted if word is more strong
than elegant, if the rhetorical colors
of word painting do not suit, if a
motion is not graceful, if the voice is
hoarse, if the preacher has the gray
hair which in other professions is
token of experience, if the theme is
an old Bible subject instead of the
last sensation. Demosthenes in the |
midst of one of his matchIess orations
on the liberty of Greece, found his
audience inattentiYe. He began a
story of two men who hired donkey
one hot day to go from Athens to
Megara. Both tried to enjoy the
shadow of the donkey. One said II
hired half, the other said, s'I hired all
the shadow" Now he retired from
the rostrum. The Athenians urged
with great eagerness that he return /
and finish the story. He came and
said "Will you listen when I talk |
of the shadow of an ass but be mat
tentive when / talk of vital affair? If |
you were hearing will read, expect
ing beqnest, would you be criticising
the lawyers manner, Or listening to
what he read? Is not the business of
eternity as important as affairs OF
time? The preacher may not suit you
but there few model preachers, the {
only perfect preacher was crucified
ages ago.
III Some fell on rocky ground
where it had not much depth of earth |
like boys garden in which big
fiat rock kept the roots of plants from
getting down to the moisture till they
withered. Some hear the gospel with
Joy, they see the good seed has begun
to grow in their hearts, they shout
sHallelula this is glorious, and 50 it !
SO far, but they have no root. The
superficial workman smooths the OUT
side and leaves the decayed wood to
break in the moment of peril, the
girl dresses in slazy clothes
without bath, the superficial in reli-
gion do only surface work. They do
not break up the fallow ground, do
not dislodge and take out the roots of
do not take away the
stumps Of evil habits, do not use the
harrow of repentance. The deeper
nature is hard as ever. Life's day
grows warm. Some shilly -shally
laughs some servant of deviltry OPP
poses, some church member shows he
IS not an angel; and they fare offend
ed" Religion had no deep place in
the heart and Withers away.
III Some fell among thorns and
sprang up and choked it. See the
field where wheat was sown among
mustard, wild roses and the Russian