The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-07-18
LESSON FOR JULY Il
THE GROWTH or THE KINGDOM.

The GROWTH OF The KINGDOM.
LESSON TExT-Marix 4:2e-s2. Matt. Is:
GOLDEN TExT-"Thy kingdom, come,
thy will be done, asy In heaven SO on
th."-Matt. e:10
Last week we observed the fact
that the genesis OF this new kingdom
Jesus came to establish was to be
the life, his life. when was as seed.
The reception of the seed in various
sorts Of soil, however, made a vast diff
ference as to the ultimate outcome.
Today we may observe from these
words of the Master what are to be
the processes OF the establishing of
the kingdom, for we do not read into
this parable record OF the final con-
Summation, bit rather that these para
bles reveal different aspects of the
same general process.
While 1t is true that this first para.
BILE is only recorded by st. Mark 1t is
in reality complement Of these para
bTes about the kingdom found In the
thirteenth of Matthew and elsewhere.
We have already noted that the seed
is the word, Luke 8-11, and that the
soil Is the hearts of men, but here
Jesus tells us that In the spiritual
as In the material universe man
"knoweth not how the lie principle
propogates itself. 1t is a helpful
thought to every Christian worker
that he Is not to be held accountable
for that part Of the process; his part
is to be that of the man who shall
cast the seed into the ground. Not
upon. but into" ". 26). Having
thus planted the seed let him sleep
and rise again" Q. g., let him trust a
wise God to see to 1t that the seed
terminate and bring forth. All Of
your worrying and mine cannot hasten
the process nor change the result once
the seed is sown, so let US be care
full to SOW them right and as far an
possible be sure we plant 1t In proper
ly prepared soil rather than waste It
among the thorns or where the birds
Of the air (Satan) ma- soon snatch
1t away.
Process 10 Gradual.
Again let us beware OF presumptu.
BUSINESS "he knoweth not how" Can
you, my reader, define life? Can you
explain the transmission, the develop
ment, the propagation OF life? We ac-
cept the results Of these things In ma.
ture without questioning. why stagger
at similar things in the spiritual
realm7 Why question the reality of
the Christian life when we see all
about us its results? In verses "a and
% Of this same chapter we are adj
monished that If we have ears "let
him hear" "a positive injunction) and
almost the very next word tells us
to take heed what we hear" Going
on down to verse % Of the lesson
we see clearly the reason for these
words, for our lives will grow and win
reproduce each after its own kind. II
we SOW wheat we reap wheat. II we
allow tares to be sown in our lives
we shall reap tares.
The process is a gradual one, but
sure one. First the blade, then the
ear, and then the full corn In the
ear" The harvest will not take place
until the process be completed. 1t Is
rot till the fruit Is ripe that the hus-
bandman puts forth his SICKLE We
are not to bother ourselves SO much
with the process as we are to guard
the source. Sow good seed and God
will see to 1t that 1t shall bring forth.
Let us not expect the full corn" of
ripe experience from the tender
blade" Of early Christian life. Let us
have patience till these young Chris
tians have time to reach the full ma
turity Of their powers. Jesus the har-
yester of this parable knew when to
put in the sickle. viz, when the fruit
Is ripe" ". 20, r. w
Whatever be the nature or charac-
ter of this harvest we are left to in
fer, for Jesus gives another picture Of
this same mysterious yet irresistible
process whereby this kingdom is to
grow, He compares 1t with a mus
hidden part of the process. This is
to draw our attention to the outward
visible growth of the kingdom. Je-
sus was humble and lowly in his COM
Ing and IL his conduct here upon
earth
The Main Truth.
Looking back over history his was
indeed less than all the seeds in the
EARTH" yet he set into motion those
principles and powers that have
caused his kingdom to become great
in the earth Elsa. 9:7.) Under the
branches of this kingdom have lodged
the weary and the stricken ones. The
birds of the air symbolic tho gather.
ing together of the nations of the
earth that they may take refuge un-
der the shelter and shadow of the
kingdom OF God, see Eek. II, Daniel
4. etc. We must beware of fanciful
interpretations or applications. The
main truth is that almost without ex-
ception the beginnings of all great
movements in the kingdom OF God
have been like mustard seed, small
but exceeding great In their growth.
Witness such moral developments as
the slavery question. Compare the
present day temperance agitation with
What n an t,rnfod IN ono hundred voa