The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-06-14
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
AENTS FOR JUNE 10.
Subject: The Parable Of the Sower,.
Matt. 1910, 1928 Commit
to Memory Verse %.

:
ing Of wickednesE, receive with meek
ness the implanted word, which Il.
able TO save your souls. James 4 .21
TIA1E.--Autumn A. %. 2S\
PLACE.--By Sea of Galilee. near
Capernaum.
EXPOSITTON.--I. Jesus as AZ,
i Open-Air Preacher, 4, 2. The great
sermon ofs this lesson was preached
in the open air So was every other.
/ great sermon recorded in the Bible.
( Jesus went to the seaside because
that was where He could get the
crowd Most men can get more
hearers to-day in the open air than
in a building. Jesus began to preach
when the crowd collected (Lu $40,
1 but He was not above preaching to.
an audience Of one Ono. 3:4). But
the multitude loved to gather to hear
Jesus Matt. 81; 1892; Lu. S:45).
1t is not hard to tell why. Jesus
always saw In great crowd call to,
preach the gospel (Matt. 9:36-3S;Is
NIX. 2:2; 6:34). Jesus began at this
time to adopt the parabolic method
Of teaching, which reveals the truth
to those who love itsand conceais it
from those who have no appetite for
it Tvs. 1913; NIX. I'LL, IL; 2 Thess.
2:10-12). Jesus used fishing
smack for pulpit, that was good
enough for Him, and we ought to-
count it good enough for us emo.
1920.
III. Hard-Hearted Hearers, 8, 4, 49,
Jesus represents Himself (and all
+ preachers and teachers of the World
as a sower The Word of God is seed
| (Lu Slid; it has life, the power Of
49, "A
forth fruit (Col. 1:5, g.. There is
more ultimate value in one grain Of
wheat than in the largest diamond
ever found; for that grain sown, and
its fruit sown, will in time fill the
earth with its increase. So with a
word of truth sown In the heart: 1t
converts one, he many. each one he
converts many more, in ever widen
ing circles 1t is a marvellous priv
ilege with infinite consequences to be
preacher or teacher of the Word.
There are four kinds of soil or classes
of hearers. The first class are like
the trodden path over which the feet
and wheels of the world have gone
until there is no receptivity for tho
Word of God (unless He drive the
plowshare of deep agony through that
hearth. The seed sown in such hearts
Is snatched away by the devil through
his ever-present emissaries, fowls Of
the air .
III. Shallow-H Hearers, 5, g..
20, Fl. The second class of hearers
are like the thin soil on an outcrop-
ping ledge of rock. They hear the
Word, and Immediately without re-
Election upon its real import and the
cost of acceptance, receive it with Joy
| l(Lu. 8:13). There is response to the
truth in this case. 1t takes hold upon
the emotions, but not upon the great
deeps of the will. These are the shall
low souls. They give quicker prom
| Use than any one else (Mk. 4:10).
They are glad at once. The truth
| often makes deep souls sad before it
makes thems glad. A deep work is
better than swift one. These have,
no root and the young plant soon
! withers. The scorching sun is .trib-
ulation or persecution because of the,
word" If the seed were well rooted
the sun would make it grow and
ripen; so do tribulation and persecu-
| ton when the Word Is well rooted.
4 The Galatians were rocky soil hearers
1 (Gal. 4:15; 5;7; 6.12).
Nv. Half-Hearted Hearers, z. s.
%. The third class of hearers are
like rich, promising but pre-occupied
soil. There are already thorns in the
! soil and the seed sown falls upon
these. They grow up with their rank
luxuriant growth, and the good seed
Is choked and the early promise
comes to nothing. In this case there
has been real attention to the Word.
and appreciation of it w. 22). 1t
has taken some hold upon the will,
but there has not been whole-hearted
surrender to it. They are capable Of
bearing fruit if they would only cast
out the thorns, but they won't. So
there is no fruit. This is most sol.
emn. 1t pictures many, very many
in the church to-day. The thorns are
Cd THE cares of the world" In how
many business man and housewife
the Word of God is thus clicked. (2)
The deceitfulness Of riches. How
many man grows goddess as he
grows rich. One of the most promis-
ing and energetic young Christians OF
the mites IN Chicago is now nothing
put Withered millionaire, with one
/ root in the grave, which he will him
sen soon enter to be saved SO as by.
f1re, or to be lost forever. (3l
! = ~Ss~SNAiSo VI Ills Liz tAlUs o+l4J4
dance, theatre, card party, etc., etc.
/ GA Lusts Of other things (Alk.
AIS, I'D. Out with the thorns
". Whole Hearted Hearers, s. 2s.
But there is a fourth class, good
ground" They Cd hear the word. .
They appreciate its value and give
good heed. (2) They understand
4 it, They take in its meaning and it,
/ price. go They accept it, Sin an
honest and good heart" (Mk. 400
l r. VI; Lu. 8:15). Not merely hear
but take hold. az They ahoId II
4 fast (Lu. S.15, r. W, they will not
I give IT up at any cost. These brine
forth fruit ("with patience,'), thirty
slxty, and one hundredfold. In three
cases the seed had come to nothing.
"A one only did it bear, but in that
one case more than paid for ali the
COST and labor; SO 1t is with our
preaching. How discouraged we Get
over the apparently wasted seed,
/ Don't! You will strike the shun-
dred-fold man some day. But let
\ al take heed how they hear Gu.
Ssl5), The parable does not say that
an equal amount Of seed fell on ali
klnds of ground; in ordinary farming
It would not