t h a t the soil is " t he e a r t h" ( " t he field is t he world," Mat. 1 3 : 2 8 ). The seed is sown in men individually; amo ng men •collectively. The growth is a Christian •church, or Christendom. 3. A Difficulty. (1) Wh a t? The Lord being t he sower, how can it be said t h at (a) He sleeps, (b) rises, (c) knows not ho,w t he seed grows? (2) How? It reads " as if." With men it is so. With t h e Lord (in appearance) it is as if it we re so. He sowed; returned to His place; it grows; He comes to reap. It is a wonder to us, not to Him. 4. The reality. (1) The seed was sown. The Lord entered on His rest. An Esquimaux, who never saw or heard of vegetation could not be more amazed t o see a seed sprout and grow t h an t h o u g h t f ul men at t he growth of the dead and buried Wo rd of God! It died (Jno. 1 2 : 2 4 ); it grew, men know not how, God knows. Unseen influences were and are at work. " T he e a r th b r i n g e th f o r th f r u it of herself." The s ower was seen; the Grower unseen. (2) Faith. Nothing too wo n d e r f ul to faith. She sows," though she knows not how it grows, and goes her way. "God g'iveth the increase." Hope; be patient; It is God's seed; it will grow; mind not how; "it shall not r e t u rn to H im void" (Isa. 5 5 : 1 1 ); He is sending the rain, yes, the snow too. Do not walk by sight, O sower. Growth is slow, gradual, sprout, blade, ear, full corn in t he ear (Gal. 6 : 7; Rev. 1 4 : 1 5 ). III. THE MUSTARD TREE. 1. The Similitude. (1) The gist of it. A small start; a great development. A mu s t a rd seed, not for- any quality in it, b ut for the quantity of it. " T he small- e st seed, proverbially, not literally. He was talking to Jews who used a mu s t a rd seed as the proverbially small. (2) T h e mystery of it. The invisible devel- o pme nt was seen in the seed growing secretly. That was good wheat and c ame to harvest. Here the visible devel- o pme nt is seen. Take the Kingdom in the Church aspect (See II. 2: ( 4 ) ) ,— it is an abnormal growth, though by n a t u re a lowly s h r u b; it shoots out great branches, as a sheltering tree ap- ing a kingdom (Dan. 4:4-27) ,"fair in leaf, rich in " f r u i t" for all "flesh" to feed on. History illustrates this in Ro- manism, but also in Protestantism, espe- cially in her present economic, politic, and socialistic attitude, posing as a ref- uge for fowl of every wing, to g a t h er them under her shadow r a t h er t h an to assimilate them to her life. (3) Our dif- fidence. We. a re not dogmatic in our
interpretation. Wh e t h er t r ue or false to the parable, we are at one with gen- eral Scripture, which wa r ns everywhere against "shooting out g r e at branches," boastful of our greatness, or offering a ny shelter to the " f owl of the a i r" (Eph. 2 : 2) t h an t he outstretched, but bleeding, branches of the T r ee of Cal- vary. (4) A safe application. "Despise not t he day of small t h i n g s" (Zee. 4: 10). " The seed we sow is sure to grow." It pays to do little things, to ma ke small beginnings, to seek young and unpromising souls. The kingdom, the true, though small at first and a "little flock" yet, will cover the e a r th as the waters cover the sea. The everlast- ing doors lift up, t he floods of grace pour forth, and t he King of Glory shall come in (Isa. 1 1 : 9; Psa. 2 4 : 7 ). IV. THE LEAVENED MEAL. Note: (a) These parables (Mat. 13) must agree among themselves and with all Scripture. If t h at of the t a r es shows a mixed state of good and bad to the end; t h at of the net a mixed catch, good arid bad, at the end; t h at of t he leaven cannot teach t h at all, gradually, become good by t he end. (b) If the Scriptures teach t h at this is an evil age (Gal. 1:4, " a g e " ), t h at the love of many shall wax cold (Mat. 2 4 : 1 2 ), t h at men shall grow worse and worse (2 Tim. 3 : 1 3 ), t h at t he mystery of iniquity is at work preparing the way for the man of sin (2 Thes. 2:7, 8), then t he mu s t a rd seed growth and the leavening influence are not favorable aspects. 1. Definitions. (1) Leaven. A sym- bol of (a) corruption (Ex. 1 2 : 1 5; Lev. 2 : 1 1; 1 Cor. 5 : 8 ) ; (b) of false doc- trine (Mat. 16:6, 11, 12; Gal. 5 : 7 - 9 ). Therefore, it mu st n ot come on God's altar (Lev. 2 : 1 1 ). (2) The woman. A symbol of t he Church, (a) the bride (Eph. 5:31, 3 2 ); (b) t he apostate Church (Rev. 1 7 : 4 ). (3) The meal. The Word of T r u t h, the divine doctrine, the food of the reborn soul (Mat. 4 : 4; Jno. 2 1 : 1 7; 1 Cor. 3 : 1 2 ). 2. Exposition. (1) A f o r ewa r n i ng of d e p a r t u re f r om t he faith (1 Tim. 4 : 1 ) ; the Church would " h e a p" to herself teachers (2 Tim. 4 : 3 ), who should "cor- r u pt t he Wo rd of God" (2 Cor. 2 : 1 7 ), and "spoil" the u nwa ry " t h r o u gh phil- osophy a nd vain deceit" (Col. 2 : 8 ). This "my s t e ry of iniquity" was "al- r e a d y" at work in Paul's day (2 Thes. 2 : 7 ), and will work till "wh en t he Son of Man cometh, shall He And f a i th on t he e a r t h ?" (Lk. 1 8 : 8 ). The parable foresaw Romanism, Higher Criticism,
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