The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-17

1AfhNt -
by the shore OF the Sea Of Galilee.
Looking over the heads of the multi
tudes which thronged the shore, his
eyes rested upon the unfenced grain
fields on the hillsides beyond, ana
there came to him a vision Of the
sowing time OF his kingdom. A
farmer, he said. went out to his fields
enc day to SOW the grain. AS ne
sowed broadcast some of the SEED
fell upon the hard path running along
the edge of the field. and the BIRDS
seeing II. Immediately bounced down
upon 1t. Other seed fell on a stretcn
of rock tina was but thinly covered
with soil and quickly sprouted; hut
the heat soon withered the plants
because there was no depth of soil 10
furnish the needed moisture. other
seed fell where the soil was already
full Of thorn seed. and when 1t came
up the thorns came up also, and soon
overceme II. But other seed fell on
prepared ground. and brought ferti
a rich harvest, some yielding as mucn
as A hundredfoid. some sixtNiold.
seine thirtyfold.
In explaining the parable after
wards to his disciples, Jesus said that
the seed was the word OF Goa: that
In sowing the word II sometimes faibs
on hard. u~nfeeling hearts that are
wholly unprepared for IT. n that
Satan snatches IL away before It can
nnd Judgment. Sometimes it falls
upon the hearts Of men who arc aoft
enough on the surface. n who are
m~cmentarily stirred by what they
hear. but such sowing comes TO-
paught for the reason that the WORD
foes not go deeper than the surface
feelings. Again, some seed Tails upon
hearts that are crowded with the
cares of this life. and care, we know,
has wonderful vitality. so tina noth-
ing tina Is good can thrive where II
is allowed TO grow. N~evertheiess'
adds Jesus, some seed nnds It's Way
into hearts that are prepared 10 re-
ceise IL. and brings forth in such
| abundance as to make UP for all that
MAY fall upon unfruitfui places.
The Heart Of the Lesson.
The gospel of Jesus has wonder
( fully transformed many lives. but IT
has left many more apparently UNI
touched How may We account foF
this seeming lack of power in the
word: How Is it that so many peo-
p1e sit under the oun OF the COS
pei a whole lifetime and are never
Influenced by II?
How was 1t that so much OF the
sewers seed came TO naught" Ger
tafnly the fault was not in the sower.
He did his work faithfully M wisely.
He was so careful to Gov every inch
of ground In his hroadcasting that a
good many seed fell on the rock that
had but a thin skin of soil upon II,
and on the dry. hard. dusty path that
ran along the edge OF the feid. Nor
was the fault in the seed. There Is
mot a hint that a single grain OF all
a-- A.A nv In nnxs yxE "
imperfect, on the other n the
seed was remarkable for it's vitality.
II was SO fuli of vitality that 1t
needed only half a a to come up.
There was absolutely no fault to md
/ with il. So IL is with the seed OF the
kingdom. which is the Word Of God.
There is not q bad or imperfect
seed in the book. The Bipie does not
have to be sifted before II can he used.
Ii does not need TO be expurgated. We
do not have to run through II with
the scissors as We do some books and
newspa pers. before,we can put IL In the
hands Of our children. 1t IN pure.
perfect seed, and SO wonderfully vital
that when scattered broadcast 1t
comes up under the most ~unpromising
circumstances.
Where was the fault In the soil.
said Jesus. Some seed fell on the hard
7 I1dd NiAhL ran 4 Jus ih1 ANAof AfNA
as soon as the sewers back vas turn
ed. the birds swooped down and car
ried II of. The ground was too hard
to receive the seed. There are hearts
just like that road. They have lived
out on the worlds highway until they
have become too hard to receive the
smallest seed OF truth. Speak the
Word to such hearts. and before they
are able 10 realize what IL is. much
. A.u A.afxF IL EaRA,, 4tsrr.a THAR nffAf1
ton to something else, and when they
come TO themselves. the Word is gone
and they cannot recall IL.
And some seed fell on rocky grounG
that had a mere skin OF soil upon 1t
The soil that was on 1t was good
enough. perhaps-what there was oil
it--but il had no depth. There was
no b-soil-nothing TO furnish food
and moisture: nothing to get a hold
on. N when the seed came up
though the plants were Just as prom.
Using as they were anywhere else ir
the field, It only needed an hour of ho'
sunshine or n blasting wind to expose
their secret. So there are hearts or
whose surface the emotions are con.
fl tinualiy blowing shallow burrows which
keep II mellow and soft. The preacher
presents the Word. tells a fearful In
cident which goes raktng over the sur
law tpNr1tiiA NHc Scco, thSft 10 q
shower OF tears. and the tender plants
of profession spring up with the fair
est promise of "A rich harvest. Blu
below the surface the rock 10 as hare
as any other sinners heart the no
sun OF suffering or h blasting wind'
of adversely o splite the tender
plants and they wither away.
Again. ON e fell in place
where thorns and thistles had Away
had their way. 1t was rich soil. In
II the bad seed had been eradicate
before the good seed was sown.
would no doubt have brought for
abundantly; but the thisties had tn
start and they kept ahead: and al
though the plants looked we'll at tn
beginning. they were soon choked ou
by their older and stronger enemies
Sometimes a man whose life has bee
a sowing OF cares and ~pieasures open
his heart to the Word and starts GU
to bring forth good fruit. He ha
depth and strength, and there
prc mise OF a rich harvest. but ne ha
been so accustomed TO thorns an
thisties, and has had so little expe
rience with good seed that he fails I
realize the folly Of trying to make
good harvest without first Kidding tn
soil OF bad seed. He does not see VIII
he cannot b. fruitful in good IA 3
on with his old way of living. BIZ
1t Is not long before the cares an
pleasures of the old life overreach tn
tender plants of the new. and whe
one day he goes tn see how his crs
Is prospecting. he has hard work I
push a.tda Tho ~ res and Mas asfrS