THE SEED THAT FELL ON GOOD GROUND.

"And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred." MARK iv. 8.

E have seen the seed proving unfruitful in three different ways: some falling by the wayside and devoured by birds, other falling on rocky ground and withering for want of soil, and other choked by thorns. Now at length we come to seed that produced fruit, or corn. This seed fell on good ground; not by the wayside, not where there was no depth of earth, not among thorns, but in good and sufficient soil. There it sprang up, and grew, and brought forth fruit. Not all equally, however: "some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred." All bore fruit, but some bore much fruit.

It is happy to find that all the seed did not come to nothing. It is happy also that the word of God is not in every case “of none effect." Our Lord thus explains this part of the parable: "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred." Or, according to St. Matthew, thus: "But he that received. seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Or, once more, according to St. Luke, as follows: "But that on the good ground are they, which, in an honest and a good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

The seed was the same as in the other cases; the difference was in the place in which it fell. So, the word is the same word; the difference is in the hearers. In each of the other cases there was something that hindered the word from working its proper effect. Here it did so. Why? Because here it was received in an honest and good heart, and not only received but kept there; heard, but not heard only; heard and attended to, and so understood; received in earnest; received deeply, seriously, and lastingly; not forgotten again, not let slip, not suffered to be snatched away, or choked by other things.

But what does "an honest and good heart" mean? Is any heart such? Is not the heart of man an evil heart?

It may mean simply a heart unlike those of the hearers mentioned before; not indeed in itself good, and yet not careless, unstable, or worldly, like them, but sincere and in earnest, desirous to know the truth, and resolved to follow it; humble, teachable, and upright. But probably we are to understand more by it than this. In the full sense of the words, "an honest and good heart" must mean a heart renewed by grace, a heart which the Holy Spirit has prepared to receive the seed of the word. No mere natural sincerity and earnestness will lead to all that follows here,-a true receiving of the word, an understanding of it, a keeping of it in the heart, and a bringing forth of fruit in the life, and that with patience or perseverance. This must be the work of the Spirit, making a change, preparing the heart for the word, and applying it with power. Let us pray for this preparation of heart. Whenever we are about to hear the word, let

us ask that the Holy Spirit may make us ready to receive it.

The bringing forth fruit hardly wants explanation, and accordingly we find none given by our Lord; the same word "fruit" is used both in the parable and in the explanation of it. Fruit, it is clear, means all that effect on the heart and life which the word of God is meant to produce; the very same, indeed, as what is elsewhere called "the fruit of the Spirit"-" love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."* The fruitful hearer, in short, is not a hearer only, but a doer of the word—a true believer, a spiritual and practical Christian, living by the word of God, zealous in good works.

But in the parable we find different degrees of fruitfulness: "some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred." Christians differ much in fruitfulness; and partly, no doubt, because they differ so much in advantages, and in the means of grace. But this can hardly be the meaning here, for all this seed was sown at once -it was one and the same preaching of the word. There is a difference even among those who have enjoyed equal advantages. The word, though truly received, does not produce equal effects in all. Our aim should be to produce much fruit. Our Lord teaches us this elsewhere. "Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." And again, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." We must not then rest satisfied with a low standard of holiness, or be content to serve God a * Gal. v. 22, 23.

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little. It is a happy thing, through grace, really to receive the word with the heart, and to bring forth any fruit to his glory: but let us aim high, let us press forward, let our desire be to be among those who bring forth fruit "an hundredfold."

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There were three classes of unfruitful hearers, and only one that was fruitful. We may learn from this that with regard to the hearing of the word, as well as more generally, there are many wrong ways but only one right way. But we may also learn a yet more solemn lesson, that but few hear with profit compared with the number who hear in vain. Those are striking words of our Lord: 66 Enter in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat ; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Many unfruitful hearers, and many travellers along the broad way; but few hearers bringing forth fruit, and few travellers going by the narrow way. This is but the same truth under two different forms. A very solemn truth. It should set us on the work of selfexamination.

The seed is sown in us continually, often do we hear the word. What kind of hearers are we? Does any one of these classes represent our case? and, if so, which? What has the hearing of the word done for us up to this time? What fruit appears in heart and life? Has it humbled our pride? Has it brought us to true repentance? Has it led us in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ? "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Has this faith, this saving faith, come to us by hearing the word? Do the

fruits of faith appear and abound in our lives? Are we bringing forth fruit continually to God's glory— thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or an hundredfold? Are we desiring to bring forth more fruit? Are we pressing toward the mark? Are we growing in grace?

The lips of Him who spake as never man spake, uttered this parable, and he himself gave the explanation of it. He spoke it for all ages. He spoke it for us. For when he had come to the close he said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!" We who read those words in the inspired book may take them as addressed to us by the Lord. They call for our attention, they appeal to our conscience, they speak to us personally and individually. The Lord Jesus himself speaks to us by them. Hear his voice! Hear it, all to whom the word is preached, hear it all who read these pages, hear it all whom the message reaches in any way. Hear it as from him, the Lord of life. We are responsible for the gift of hearing, as for every other gift. He seems here to appeal to this responsibility. "He that hath ears to hear!" he cries. He to whom God has given this power; he who can hear. Let none who can hear, turn a deaf ear to the Saviour's words.