The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-04-26
The Parable Of tie Sower.

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The Parable of tile Sewer.
The Parable of the Sewer, con-
neCted as it IS with an ever-recur-
ring process of nature, can never
become effete. And, as that pro-
cess is one on which the very sus-
tenance of human life depends, an
unwonted dignity attaches to the
parable. And, as Jesus own in
depreciation is attached, it is i'm
possible to go astray in the search
for its meaning. In
imagination I hold in my hand a
grain Of wheat, just like that
which the sower went forth to sow.
What is that seed? Perhaps you
say: ut is brown" But l did
not ask the color. "Oblong?" No,
l did not ask the shape. These
are but accidents" of the seed
AT the centre of that grain there is
an essense-an indescribable, invis-
ible something. The Latins called
it ''substania," the inner principle
of the seed. 1t is this which gives
the accidents of color, size and
shape. Extract that principle,
and there is nothing left. *
The gospel is seed. 1t may be
written or spoken. 1t may be
Scripture, hymn, sermon, prayer,
tract, Sunday school teaching, ex-
hortation. The accidents of form
are multiple. But at the heart of
it there must be a divine princi-
pie Of life. They must be Jesus
words of spirit and life. -
The gospel seed requires a sower.
There are some seeds which nature
has provided with means ofsowing
themselves. There are, however,
the exceptions which prove the
rule. They are usually, too, the
seed of worthless weeds. About
i'll the ratio of their value is skill
and care required in the planting
of good seed. AS multiplex as the
forms seeds, 50 are the sewers,
Whoever presents gospel truths in
such manner that its power accom-
panles it is a sower of the seed.
The seed implies a sell. And the
soils are as multipleX as The sewers
and the seeds. x $ Across
the Oriental fields tootpaths may
still be seen. Though allowed,
they partake of the nature of tres
pass. Farmers-not accidentlv,
but purposely-sow upon them. for
a witness that the claim to them
is not abandoned. The unwaken-
ed human.lheart is a path trodden
hard by sin and evil habits. Yet
it belongs to God He is still
claims it. His truth is sown upon
it for testimony. But i'll such
instances the soul of the gospel
does not touch the soul of the
man. There is an outward hear
ing, indeed, but no inward COM
pretending. And the seed is
quickly taken away by the wicked
one, who sends irrelevant thoughts,
pleasures, business, etc, as a
flock of birds to devour the seeds.
x * Some seeds fall upon a
film of soil which covers a ledge
of rock. The rock holding the
heat acts like a clearinghouse and
cause the seed to terminate all the
more quickly. But there is no
chance to draw moisture from the
depth of the soil. For a perma-
nent and healthful growth, the
seed of the gospel must grow as
deep as it grows high. There
must be as much interior life as
there is all exterior expression, as
much belief with the heart as con-
fession with the tongue. But the
unbroken rocky covering of the
heart renders an interior growth
impossible. The life of the seed
is beautiful, but brief. The same
sun that causes it to terminate,
withers it. * There is
still another soil which, though