The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-09
In The Religious World
50 - Is e Is

81 ~ toLN ~ LIZ
hearers as they firsD heard this story
warm from His tender lips. This is
an occasion TO pass in review the
ervants Of the kingdom who are
tOiling all about uS-the preachers,
the Sunday school teachers. the de-
vout parents, the editors and writ
ers. social settlement workers, ply
s%icians. nurses. labor leaders. re-
formers-What a countless company
are living and laboring with an eve
single to that kingdom which is the
contamination Of GOd'S glory and
mans welfare
Fol the sake Of this service. men
and women are " beside many
waters" The unmechanical, uncal-
%culating lavish ways Of the orientl
aGriculturalists are adopted. as by any
means and by all means men and wo-
men try to bring in the kingdom iOr
which following in the train OF
Christ, they would give their lives.
Today we find a greater variety Of
forces at work for the kingdom
than ever before in the history Of the
universe. The Kingdom gospel is be
ing preached to all classes Of people
everywhere. The coming of the
kingdom has created a social ferment
throughout the Garth. Books are DE-
ing written, churches are even adver-
Using in the newspapers, meetings
are being held in shop organizations
Of boys and girls are being perfected
and in a multitude of other ways the
business Of the coming kingdom ls
being done.
The Four Kinds Of Soil.
Some knowledge OF Palestine is
needed to make clear this parable
OF the sower. | recall one evening
on Mt. Carmel when | saw. in one
of the fertile valleys Of that famous
spot. all four Of the conditions in
Dictated in the parable--The farm
Fl" three divisions Of this parable,
ers in the Holy Land live in villages
and not amid their fields. There are
no fences. but beaten paths. or way
sides" as they are called in the story
between the fields.
Underneath the soil OF Palestine
lies the great sub-stratum of rock
which so often Outcrops. The lang
uage Of the parable does not CONVEY a
meaning Of a field with occasional
stones in it. but Of one that is but
a thin overlap Of soil above the rock.
~Enroaching upon the field and
WaySide are the thorns. thick and
rank.
Notwithstanding these handicaps,
there is good soil a plenty-and
that is the point Of the lesson. The
sower goes forth to SOW. not pri-
1iioi 1 III Tx wdN "a VI vi k11S
stony soil or amid the thorns. but in
the productive soil that brings forth
fruit many fold.
Assuming equality OF weather
conditions. the product is all a mat.
ter Of soil. There is no fault in The
seed. The story ssumes that the
seed will bring forth after it's kind
, it will produce the results which
> have followed it throughout his
tory.
The Meaning Explained.
Asked for a meaning Of this stor,
| OF the Sewer. Jesus said hat eth
seed is the word" The sOwer is any
body who spreads abroad the word
: you. l. the man in Africa, the teache
: in the village school. the preache
d in his pulpit. h soil is the huma1
n heart. and the four kinds of hearin;
that III word gets are illustrated b
: the fou kinds OF soil in Palestine.
t The wayside hearts are the mos
pitable. Beaten by the trivial traffi
e Of everyday affairs. they nave n
s spiritual receptiveness. They stan
: for a class OF people. smaller. per
e haps. than we commonly believe. VIII
) really have no interest in thine
It spiritual. Truth takes no root i
g their natures.
o times are mirrOred in the secon
class Of hearers, those without deptl
y Like h Athenians of old, they ar
3 quick to take hold Of any new thini
a. n Just as quick to let go. The
% are the faddists. who run after ever
g. new leader and every new doctrin
3 and follow all the changing fashion
Is in religion as in hats. They hol
'e nothing fast which it may cost
s. hold. Ease OF life and prosperit
n are more to them than the sacre
claims of truth.
Even a better picture OF the worl
g. today is that Of the third kind
soil. which was crowded with thor
IN And the cares Of the world. ar
81. the deceitfulness of riches. and tt
~ lusts OF other things entering
n choke the word and it becometh u
n fruitful" There you have the life
Is. a multitude Of our contemporaries
who. because they are busy runnir
to and fro ohn1Yt MANY notify on ya q