Oh, beware of careless hearing! beware of the wiles of Satan! Come to the hearing of the word with preparation of heart. Hear it seriously, earnestly, prayerfully, watchfully. It is the greatest blessing to live within sound of the word, for this word is the gospel of salvation. But every blessing brings responsibility; and a blessing despised or slighted will turn to condemnation. Satan's wiles are dangerous, and his power is great; but God's power is greater: pray for the gift of the Spirit in the hearing of the word. Watch and pray.

THE SEED THAT FELL ON STONY GROUND.

"And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away."

MARK iv. 5, 6.

HE words stony ground," do not exactly represent our Lord's meaning; "rocky ground" would represent it better. The passage in St. Luke is, "and some fell upon a rock." The meaning evidently is, that in the field, or perhaps along the edge of it, were rocks, or large ridges of stone, on which some of the seed fell. There was a thin sprinkling of earth on the rock; enough for the seed to take root in, but not enough to give it nourishment afterwards. Indeed, this seed sprang up before any of the rest, for the sun's rays beating on the rock made the thin covering of earth warmer than the soil around. The seed therefore sprang up quickly, probably in the night. But when the sun shone out bright and hot,

as it does in those eastern countries, the heat proved too great for the tender plant. Having no depth of earth to strike its roots into, and being unable to penetrate the hard rock beneath, it had but little strength; and so it was scorched, and withered away. The warmth of the sun given out by the rock made it spring up quickly, but the sun's burning heat by day made it as quickly wither and die. The plant came to nothing.

Our Lord explains this part of the parable thus: “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

These hearers are not careless hearers, like the first class. The word attracts their attention. They listen, and are interested. What they hear pleases, and even affects them. Being probably by nature eager and warm-hearted, they receive the word with joy, and seem heartily to embrace the gospel. Thus far all looks well. So it did at first with the plant that grew up on the rocky ground. But there was a fault there, and so there is here: a want of depth, and therefore a want of root. Like the shallow soil heated by the warmth of the sun, their feelings are easily moved, and an effect seems quickly to follow on their hearing of the word. But there is no deep work in the heart. The effect produced is with them more a thing of feeling than of real impression or principle. There is no counting of the cost, no calm and decided giving up of themselves to Christ, no taking up of the cross

and following him. When the time of trial comes, they prove to be but fair-weather Christians.

They "endure but for a time." It may be a longer or a shorter time, according to circumstances. But when they are called to suffer for Christ, when they must submit to being disliked, laughed at, or even persecuted, for his sake, then they fail. They are offended; that is, these things are a hindrance or stumblingblock which they cannot get over. They held on while the world smiled on them; but they cannot endure its frown. They could follow Christ through good report; they cannot follow him through evil. They were no hypocrites. They did not pretend to hear the word with gladness: they did hear it with gladness; they meant to be disciples of Christ, and thought they were so. But they had no root; and so in time of temptation they fall away.

It is a sad case, but not an uncommon one; especially with the young. The young are generally warm and eager in their feelings, quickly worked upon, readily moved; and there is indeed much in the gospel to move the feelings. But something more than this is needed. There must be the work of the Spirit in the heart, a true change wrought within. This alone can give depth and root, this alone can lead one who has received the word with gladness to remain stedfast under affliction or persecution. Without this, however impressible the feelings may be, like the shallow soil on the rock, yet, for any saving reception of the gospel, the heart remains like the hard stone beneath. What then? Did our Lord mean to check the glad hearing of the word, or to damp the ardour of the young disciple? Not so. Let the word be heard with gladness,

with even more gladness than ever. The happiest tidings that mortal ear can listen to, the gospel of salvation, the free offer, the sure promise-let it be heard with joy, for well it may. The seed that fell on the rock was doing its rightful office when it sprang up so quickly, the warm earth on the rock's surface was doing its proper work when it cherished the seed and brought forth the plant: so far all was well: the fault was afterwards, in the want of depth of earth to nourish the plant. So, it is well that the word be heard with gladness. Let none keep back their hearts from Him who claims them. Let no cold caution be suffered to quench the rising flame. Let there be no delay, no reserve. The gospel calls; let the call be obeyed. It offers pardon; let the offer be accepted. It appeals to the feelings and the affections; let the feelings and affections yield to the appeal, and that at once. The fault was not that the seed sprang up immediately, but that it had no depth of earth. And the reason why some who gladly hear the word afterwards fall away, is not that they heard gladly, but that they had no root. They might have heard gladly, and have had root too.

Do not seek then to stifle those ardent feelings, do not check your delight in the word, do not think that it is wrong or dangerous to have your affections deeply moved by the gospel: only do not build upon feelings or impressions; build upon Christ and upon him alone; know your own weakness and instability, and pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit. Ask that the work in you may be a real work, a deep work, a lasting work, such as shall abide in the hour of trial.

Will not God hear such a prayer? Surely he will.

It was said of our Lord in prophecy, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory." He spoke this parable, not to discourage, but to warn. And he himself said that God would give the Holy Spirit to them that asked him. Pray in faith of that promise. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.' Pray that your heart may not remain hard like the rock, but may be truly softened by the Spirit; and that thus you may receive the word with gladness, not merely in the surface feelings of an ardent nature, but in the deep faith of a believing heart.

THE SEED THAT FELL AMONG THORNS.

"And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.” MARK iv. 7.

HESE "thorns" were briars or brambles, or something of that sort. The ground had not been

thoroughly cleared of them; and so they sprang up with the seed, and being of stronger growth, choked the young plants. Their roots robbed the plants of nourishment, their trailing stems smothered them, and their leaves shaded them from the light and warmth of the sun. Perhaps these plants did not wither and die like the last, but they became weak and sickly, and yielded no fruit.

Here is our Lord's explanation of this part of the parable: "And these are they which are sown among

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