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amo. Dom e e tie DEKY TOT WHILD. simast -- --..kadie Lure:

uere were thorn-Bres, meter en rem yere e ts met he richest cornede

* 2 * eten errore our blessed Lorri embles all serve. 19:11 Terme aracter of his own sind: - Le PT TIO benc e

re. Ci receive the esson, s malet

earers I I eta i his listii eign me shade Tuc iese can.es Tere ielivered was mportant J . Was Malvancing t he second rear i Fis ministry. He - white v šabitet Iis short '1 de singutom of heaven by

w ell, 40 e:east ci vhien TUISDIEet wher, taking a scourge are not a catered Is ither's cose, irove out the gents of mer ' 'le tansea 2 use of meer ör si tations, expelling vituar rong 100 restoring to proper ise. More tha Cene husa 2005 au anapired I which foc iad sealed the mis

. Saviour: 20 chese strange events ave örce to every wor ... wlered in very dirtuai iemand which He enforced. H

want with alcea ir 1 te work committed to Ffis trist; He stoo

n i je cited iation hoiding torsh the covenant of Hi una vila moving towards the claim to what (Iominion sealed to Hir

dielli Trnaeeies: the kingdom ot heaven in the hands o in Solitas auraneng to a fact--the rulers feit it, and multitude eeskuing sound Him, hastening to receive the long-expected

i was a tine lattering for a teacher, but a time for faithful inie Saviour: and He gives in this picture a sketch of what wa Tiwas l ose wco wouid share its benefits.

de la mana cars to hear, let him hear!” The King is speakin riesiseruess siuman language, but He intends us to understan

sulit vi his words. They are the utterances, the edicts of

Po pienus us to understand the result which He demands,—th Thiene Stellens of His word. He wishes each hearer to comprehend dis

tit. Ai nudildiy which He must overcome. And, in a single phrase, H cnnindot 40s requirement for personal success. It is scarcely possibl

L. Berching more precise, and certainly nothing more encouragin pike 24 of men. t he WORD OF THE SAVIOUR.

de la called at times the word of truth, the word of grace, of H Pedom; but here it is presented as the edict of a kingdom issue reak the throne, demanding a practical response from each subject t whom it can apply. But the word of which our Lord here speaks ha de perularity ; Ulis kingdom is not composed of persons supposed to b righteous, but of those known to be depraved in nature and convicte of offence. He does not come here to negotiate a kingdom ; His throne is over all, but He is like one doing battle in a region of mutiny. The edicts of His reign all point to His chief design. “The Son of man is come," as it was predicted He should come, “to seek and to save that which was lost," and the fruit of His coming is the consummation of that blessing. But while this word of the Lord is an edict issuing from a throne, it is merciful and consolatory; and, though it meets with hopes men ready to perish, it has all the force and command of law. It passes from His lips and extends its influence through universal being. The seed is good, fall where it may; it defines an action by which a man who is ready to perish, may conform by its reception and use to the administration of infinite mercy. Wherever it may take effect it will place a sinner in harmony with the working of the mighty power of God. The word of the kingdom is the pledge of a King designed to be protected by all his authority and power, as the covenants of our Queen involve the honour of her whole dominion and the employment of all her forces. There are solemnities thus connected with the communications of love, and these solemnities demand the attention which our Lord bespeaks. But each word of the Lord demands a response from men. God speaks that He may be believed, trusted, and obeyed. He speaks His mind that He may draw forth from the minds of men effects according with His gracious reign. He comes that He may bless; but in His blessing He transforms by influence going out of Himself; He pours the riches of His grace upon the man; but out of the man to whom He speaks are to be drawn the fruits of grace which ripen into peace and blessedness. Out of this comes the solemn truth, to be remembered in the use of all our religious privileges, that it is not what is received but what is drawn forth from the heart into the life that will ripen into salvation. The dominion of His kingdom is seen in the greater fruitfulness of His subjects.

II.—Consider SOME OF THE RESULTS WHICH HE REQUIRES. The ground under cultivation represents the man to whom the word is spoken ; and by different kinds of ground our Lord presents to His hearers the different states of mind in which the word comes to be received. The word comes freely from heaven-from God by Christ who was then speaking; but the word spoken may fall by the wayside, or among thorns, or upon the rocky soil, or upon good ground. How the ground has been prepared Jesus does not say ; but it is the producema hundred, sixty, or thirty-fold—which He demands.

It would be very merciful if the Lord would lead us to take some prominent word of. His kingdom, and examine the effect it has bad upon our hearts. Take for instance that word, “ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.” What has been the effect of this truth upon us ? Again, Christ hath redeemed us from the law itself. You admit the fact. What is the effect it has had upon our minds ? Have we sung a song of praise ? Have our hearts been softened by it? Has it encouraged us to go to God and seek the adoption of children through varist in God ? Happy if it be so. But every word of the kingdom

tion in the kingdom of heaven has need to be on his guard,—who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

From the place in which the Lord was then teaching (from a boat by the sea of Galilee), all the objects referred to in His picture would be visible to His eye. A high-road of immense traffic was right before Him; He might see upon the hill-side the rocky soil which almost always defies profitable culture; here and there were thorn-brakes, never productive, and near them were perhaps some of the richest corn-fields upon earth. By a rough sketch, therefore, our blessed Lord enables each man to observe, as in a mirror, the character of his own mind; and happy are they who behold the picture, and receive the lesson, so as to become fruitful hearers and subjects of His blissful reign.

The time at which these parables were delivered was important. The Saviour was advancing to the second year of His ministry. He had already exhibited His authority in the kingdom of heaven by strange events, not the least of which transpired when, taking a scourge of cords, He entered His Father's house, drove out the agents of merchandise, and cleansed it as a house of prayer for all nations, expelling the mercenary throng and restoring it to its proper use. More than thirteen exhibitions had transpired in which God had sealed the mis. sion of the Saviour; and these strange events gave force to every word which He uttered and every spiritual demand which He enforced. He had thus advanced far in the work committed to His trust; He stood in the midst of an excited nation holding forth the covenant of His Father, and moving towards the claim to that dominion sealed to Him in the ancient prophecies ; the kingdom of heaven in the hands of David's Son was advancing to a fact-the rulers felt it, and multitudes were crowding round Him, hastening to receive the long-expected benefit. It was a time flattering for a teacher, but a time for faithfulness in the Saviour; and He gives in this picture a sketch of what was necessary in those who would share its benefits.

“ He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” The King is speaking with tenderness in human language, but He intends us to understand the nature of His words. They are the utterances, the edicts of 1 reign.

He intends us to understand the result which He demands,—th fruitfulness of His word. He wishes each hearer to comprehend dis tinctly the hostility which He must overcome. And, in a single phrase, H sketches the requirement for personal success. It is scarcely possible to find anything more precise, and certainly nothing more encouraginį to the heart of men.

I.-THE WORD OF THE SAVIOUR.

It is called at times the word of truth, the word of grace, of Hi salvation ; but here it is presented as the edict of a kingdom issuet from the throne, demanding a practical response from each subject to whom it can apply. But the word of which our Lord here speaks ha a peculiarity ; His kingdom is not composed of persons supposed to bi righteous, but of those known to be depraved in nature and convicted of offence. He does not come here to negotiate a kingdom ; His throne is over all, but He is like one doing battle in a region of mutiny. The edicts of His reign all point to His chief design. “The Son of man is come," as it was predicted He should come, “to seek and to save that which was lost," and the fruit of His coming is the consummation of that blessing. But while this word of the Lord is an edict issuing from a throne, it is merciful and consolatory; and, though it meets with hopes men ready to perish, it has all the force and command of law. It passes from His lips and extends its influence through universal being. The seed is good, fall where it may; it defines an action by which a man who is ready to perish, may conform by its reception and use to the administration of infinite mercy. Wherever it may take effect it will place a sinner in harmony with the working of the mighty power of God. The word of the kingdom is the pledge of a King designed to be protected by all his authority and power, as the covenants of our Queen involve the honour of her whole dominion and the employment of all her forces. There are solemnities thus connected with the communications of love, and these solemnities demand the attention which our Lord bespeaks. But each word of the Lord demands a response from men. God speaks that He may be believed, trusted, and obeyed. He speaks His mind that He may draw forth from the minds of men effects according with His gracious reign. He comes that He may bless; but in His blessing He transforms by influence going out of Himself; He pours the riches of His grace upon the man; but out of the man to whom He speaks are to be drawn the fruits of grace which ripen into peace and blessedness. Out of this comes the solemn truth, to be remembered in the use of all our religious privileges, that it is not what is received but what is drawn forth from the heart into the life that will ripen into salvation. The dominion of His kingdom is seen in the greater fruitfulness of His

subjects.

11.-Consider soME OF THE RESULTS WHICH HE REQUIRES. The ground under cultivation represents the man to whom the word is spoken ; and by different kinds of ground our Lord presents to His hearers the different states of mind in which the word comes to be received. The word comes freely from heaven-from God by Christ Who was then speaking; but the word spoken may fall by the wayside, or among thorns, or upon the rocky soil, or upon good ground. How the ground has been prepared Jesus does not say ; but it is the proauce a hundred, sixty, or thirty-fold—which He demands.

It would be very merciful if the Lord would lead us to take some prominent word of His kingdom, and examine the effect it has bad upon our hearts. Take for instance that word, “ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law." What has been the effect of this truth upon us ? Again, Christ hath redeemed us from the law itself. You admit the fact. What is the effect it has had upon our minds ? Have we sung a song of praise ? Have our hearts been softened by it? Has it encouraged us to go to God and seek the adoption of children through Varist in God ? Happy if it be so. But every word of the kingdom

demands our response; our Lord intends that the words of His king dom should meet with the response of vitalized minds which shall grov in strength, and ripen into celebrity : for what honour is there to b a king of cowards, of men lethargic, unable to make use of the privi leges they enjoy ? Christ means that His blessings should be visible known by the results. As a husbandman expects corn from th field sown with corn, so Christ expects moral results from thos truths which He has taught: He speaks of pardon, that guilty sinner may be pardoned ; of rest, that sinners may experience rest for thei souls ; He speaks of conflict, that His subjects may be proved ; and ( salvation brightened with victory, that His followers may be glad. H words declare His love, and that unfolds the mysteries of His might mind. The effect of His words in the minds of His subjects, wh receive them, reveals His wisdom and glory in the word. Fields th: flourish, wildernesses made beautiful and fruitful, are but faint resen blances of that gracious reign by which our Lord is leading falle nature to far more than its long-lost happiness. Jesus in this parab catches the thought set forth so beautifully by the prophet Isaiah “ As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returnet not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bu that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall m word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto m void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosp in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa. lv. 10, 11). That result is befol the mind of the Redeemer, and the Redeemer would keep that resu steadily before us ; and whatever word of the kingdom we receive, should be our desire that it should reveal itself in our character an bring Him praise. Time would fail to carry this thought through a the details of our service; but not a word that reaches our homes, ou personal relationship, our business, or our position in the Church society, that is not intended to exert all the power that God can suppl God speaks, and His word is the word of a King.

We ought to be thankful that,

III.—The Lord has described THE OBSTACLES THAT HAVE TO I OVERCOME.

The Lord works by persuasion; it is the declaration of His love ar power, so combined and applied as to win and subdue the heart man; and thus the Lord draws forth our confidence and love, and ado ing worship. The truth grows, but the growth of truth is impeded b depravity found within the heart. A heart exposed to every influent is fruitful in nothing; it is a high-road for Satan's traffic, a ha of entertainment. The city playground is not a place where trut from heaven may ripen into peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Th word is not there long enough; the ground must be enclosed to b fruitful, let the husbandman plant whatever he may; and the heai must be consecrated before it can reveal the gracious care of Heaver Jesus has here described a threefold hostility, upon which the min may rest—the birds, the rocks, the thorns—all unfriendly to growth