The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-06-16
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Sunday school
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
NIENTS FOR JUNE 10.
Subject: The Parable OF the Sowcr,
Matt. 1919, 1S-23-Commit
-" to Memory Verse 23.

ting away all fllthiness and overflow
Ing of wickedness, receive with meek
ness the implanted word, which Is
able to save your souls" James 1921.
TIME.--Autumn, A. d. 2S.
PLACE.--By Sea of Galilee, near
Capernaum
EXPOSITlON.-I. Jesus as an
Open-Air Preacher, I, 2. The great
sermon OF 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 building. Jesus began to preach
when the crowd collected CLu. S:4),
but He was not above preaching to
an audience of one (Jno. 3:4). But
the multitude loved to gather to hear
Jesus Matt. 5:1; 1912; Lu. S:45).
1t is not hard to tell why. Jesus
always saw in a great crowd a call to
preach the gospel Matt. 9:3G-3S;
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 it and conceals It
from those who have no appetite for
1t Tvs. 1913; Nix. All, 10; Thess.
2:10-12). Jesus used a fishing
smack for a pulpit, that was good
enough for Him, and we ought to
count it good enough for us (Jno.
1920.
III. Hard-Hearted Hearers, 3, 4. 10.
Jesus represents Himself (and all
preachers and teachers OF the Word)
as a sower. The Word of God is seed
(Lu. SID; 1t has life. the power of
growth and reproduction; it brings
forth fruit (Col. 1:5, 81. 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; It
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 the
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 emissarles, fowls of
the air.
III. ShaIlow-Hearted Hearers, 3. O.
20, Fl. The second class of hearers
are like the thin soil on an outcrop-
ping ledge of rock. They hear the
i'm, 4 10 Lolt
Election upon its real import and the
cost OF acceptance, receive 1t with 10Y
(Lu. S: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. 4:1O).
They are glad at once. The truth
often makes deep souls sad before it
makes them glad. A deep work is
better than swift one. These have
no root and the young plant soon
Wlthers. The scorching sun is "trib-
ulation or persecution because OF the
word IL the seed were we'll rooted
the sun would make it grow and
ripen; SO do tribulation and persecu-
tion when the Word is we'll rooted.
Ihe Galatians were rocky soil hearers
(Gal. 4:15; 5:7; 6:12).
~. Half-Hearted Hearers, z, 9,
22. The third class OF hearers are
like rich, promising but pre-occupied
soil. There are already thorns in the
soil and tue 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 1t ". 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 II 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,
lii the church to-day. The thorns are
% The cares of the world" In how
many business man and housewife
the Word of God Is thus choked. (2)
The deceitfulness OF riches" How
many a man grows goddess as he
grows rich. One of the most promis-
ing and energetic young Christians of
the fifties in Chicago is now nothing
but withered millionaire, with one
foot in the grave, which he will HIM
self soon enter to be saved so as by
fire." or to be lost forever. (3)
Pleasures of this life" (Lu. $40,
dance, theatre, card party. etc., etc.
(4) "Lusts of other things" (Mk.
AIS, III. Out with the thorns.
V. Whole-Hearted Hearers, 8, 13.
But there is a fourth class, good
ground" They % hear the word. -
They appreciate its value and give
good heed. CD They understand"
1t. They take in its meaning and its
price. (3) They accept 1t" sin an
honest and good heart" (Mk. APO.
r. "; Lu. S:15). Not merely hear,
but take hold. (4) They hold IL
fast (Lu. 8:15, r. W. they will not
give 1t up at any cost. These bring
forth fruit ("with patience"), thirty.
sixty, and one hundredfold. In three
cases the seed had come to nothing.
In one only did it bear, hut In that
one case more than paid for all the
cast and labor; 80 II is with. our
preaching. How discouraged we get
over the apparently wasted seed.
Don't! You will strike the hun
dred-fold" man some day. But let
all take heed how they hear Q.u.
S:l5). The parable does not say that
an equal amount OF seed fell on all
kinds OF ground; in ordinary farming
II would not.