The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-23
THOSE
The International Sunday School Les
son for July % is, THE Wheat and
the TareS." Matt. 13:24-3O; 36-43.
(By William T.. EIliS.)

(By William I. Ellis.)
one Of the stalest Of stock argu-
mentS against religion is that of the
presence Of hypocrites in the church.
The COmmOneSt excuse of the man
who does not want to give to Chris
tan causes or to identify himself
with the friends of Christ is. there
are 50 many hypocrites in the
church," Each man utters that
truism as if he were the first to dis
cover it. The contention has no
novelty. 1t is not a condition newly
made in our own time. OF course
there are hypocrites in the church,
and there have been ever since the
church existed. and probably will be
until the church visible becomes a
church triumphant.
That argument is SO old and wide
spread that Jesus once told a story
dealing with it. This parable Of the
wheat and the tares which the Sun
day Schools are studying is designed
to point the mora of how to deal
with limitations. The point Of it all
is that while there are hypOcrites in
the church. they are not Indigenous
to the church; they do not spring
from the life Of the church.; they
are an alien planting. Their exist
ence is after all. only a fact about
I mSelveS and their duplicity. and
not a fact about the genuine Chris
tians. How to deal with the whole
subject Of hypocrites is set forth sue
Cinctly by the Master Teacher.
The Weedy Wheat.
Yesterday l travelled through
many miles of golden grain ready for
the reaper. One large field showed,
plentifuily sprinkled through the
grain heads of towering weeds. The
wayfaring man could not possibly
mistake those for wheat. The weeds
were clearly rank intruderS, and no
body would ever dream that they
would reach the garner. True, the
weeds would annoy the farmer, and
they had used up room and soil and
vitality that properly belonged to
good wheat, but after all they were
only weeds n bound for the dis
card.
That wise farmer had not agitated
himself about the weeds in his field
He had attended strictly to the bust
ness OF growing wheat. knowing tina,
the harvest would prove all. He die
not interfere with the growth of the
tender plants in an effort to discover
the possible presence of weeds. He
cultivated the true grain and let the
weeds wait for the n day Of di.
vision. when they would go to waste
and the wheat would go to the barn
The End Tests All.
Commonly folk become rather ex
cited when discussing the subject O.
hypOCriteS. There is really no nee(
for this. The better way is to keef
things in perspective and to see tn,
situation in its proportions. To heal
some persons talk, n would thinl
that the hurc is made up Of hypO
critics. Today's newspaper told Of
college president who was found deat
In a house of disrepute. Shall w,
say, therefore, that all college presi
tents are leading double lives? N
sensible person would be so illogica
as that. yet the brazen assumption o
many critics Of the church is tina
because there are some hypOcrites il
the church this is prima facie evi
dence that the church is wholly mad
uu Of hypocrites. 1t doesn't take
Philadelphia lawyer to see the absur'
fallacy of such an argument.
1t helps one to keep cool in con
Sidering this matter to read CAREFUL
the parable of the wheat and tn
tares. Jesus gave it for the guidanc
of His friends. Doubtless He foresa'
that Jealous defenders Of the church
like the servants of the husbandma
in the story. would want to dismantl
the harvest field in order to get ri
of possible tares. The Jesus way
better. He counseis that the IL
ClDient harvest Shouid neftner @
trampled down nor torn up. fo
the good grain would even SUITE
more than the tares. He laid dow
the proposition eternally true thu
the end tests all. Professor ThOn
son, author of 1.-The Land Of tn
Book" that best treatise or the Gu!
toms Of Palestine. saiys: "The Pale:
tinian farmer as the time for tE
heading out of the wheat a~pproache
watches a~Exiously to see whether
disguised enemy has not been a
alOn" growing in the midst of TT
wheat. unpereeived on account OF
close resemblance to it while in tf
blade. BY the fruit he soon recol
nizes whether this be so or no
There can be no mistake then. 7
once I heard it remarked in tn;
country. the ears which O h;
blessed bow their heads, but the: