The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-07-12

that Jesus told the disciples that the
seed Is the word of God luke SID.
Mark also tells us practically the same
thing In v. IA of the lesson. A great
deal Ia being made today Of seed Sc
lection and some wonderful results
have been obtained. How much more
important for us who deal with immor
tai souls that we select the best, viz
the word of God.
Sought Not AduIatlon.
Next. the sower ". A.. Notice he
went forth not to SOAR, nor is II
recorded that he was SORE, He did
not have a crouch nor did he enter
into his work that he might receive
the adulation Of men Matt 6:2).
1t is however the soil that seems to
be most emphasized in this lesson
both In the direct teaching and also
In the explanation Of the parable,
There are four kinds of soil and 1t is
also very significant the manner by
which the seed came into contact with
each kind of soil Some fell by the
wayside." The path was well trod'
den, the ground was preoccupied, Q. g.
used for other purposes rather than
to yield harvest. 1t was hard to be
broken and hence 1t was an easy mat
ter for the birds of the air (Satan V
15) soon to pluck 1t away. We neec
to remember that II men receive will
meekness the implanted word there
will be OF course no such opportunity
for the evil one The trouble Is thai
In this case the word was not implant
ed. Thus II is that one-Hourth of the
seed Is lost That the result is de
plorable one is shown In Heb. 2:1-4
The seed in this case fell "by" thu
wayside, in the next 1t fell "On" the
rocky ground. The first is the picture
OF the needless, this is a picture o
the superficial ones. oh for a tim
they did run we'll, they even receive
the word with gladness ". 16) bn
they had no stability; they lacked tn
element Of persistence; their surrount
lngs were superficial there was I
chance for the seed to get real grll
upon their lives.
Three Fourths Lost.
In the third place Jesus speaks G
seed that fell among" the thorns
Here in this worldly soil 1t is not SC
much the character of the soil as the
character OF that which already occn
pied the soil ere the sower sowed the
seed. The cares OF this world, the
deceitfulness of riches and "otheI
things" ". 1877 had so entered In that
the good seed never had a real chance
in the soil of that human heart, hence
1t was choked and yielded no fruit
There was no real grip OF the Will, NJ
whole-hearted surrender. How ofte'
these thofGs, "the cares Of life" keel
the housewife, or the business mai
away from the word. How often the
"deceItfulness of riches" snare men 81
as to choke the word that at one tins
gave such promise In their lives. An(
then the Gusts and other things
which the evil one so well knows hoy
to use that he may keep us from TIT
word, for he knows that by 1t we ma!
be saved luke 8:12).
We have thus seen threefourths OF
The word lost. OF the remaining
fourth which fell into" (R. W the
GOOD soil, not all yielded the same re,
urn It all brought forth ". y 1t all
Yielded, 1t all sprang up. but not all
the same ratio. We ought to re-
member at this point that this parable
,lalnly teaches us that we who receive
he implanted seed, We who receive
nd obey shall in turn become the seed
" the kingdom.
There are three distinguishing feat
Tres of this last class OF hearers ~
they "hear" the word. These are
he ones who appreciate its value and
i've good heed to its precepts. 90
they accept" it, 9. g., they under
tand its teachings. they take 1t into
God ana sonest hearts, and (S) they
hold It fast" duke S:15 R. W. These
ire the ones of which martyrs are
made. Thus we see four differ
mt soils and four different ways of
receiving 1t. ~ Some "by" the way
lde; (2) Some ION" the stony soil;
81 Some among" the thorns; and (D
Some into the good ground,