Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 03 - First the Blade , Then the Ear - Christ's Object Lessons

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03 - First the Blade , Then the Ear - Christ's Object Lessons · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: First the blade, then the ear. The parable of the
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  Speaker 1: sower excited much questioning. Some of the hearers gathered from
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  Speaker 1: it that Christ was not to establish an earthly kingdom,
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  Speaker 1: and many were curious and perplexed. Seeing their perplexity, Christ
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  Speaker 1: used other illustrations, still seeking to turn their thoughts from
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  Speaker 1: the hope of a worldly kingdom to the work of
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  Speaker 1: God's grace and the soul. And he said, so is
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  Speaker 1: the kingdom of God. As if a man should cast
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  Speaker 1: seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night
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  Speaker 1: and day, and the seed should spring and grow up,
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  Speaker 1: he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit
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  Speaker 1: of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that
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  Speaker 1: the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit
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  Speaker 1: is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because
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  Speaker 1: the harvest is come. The husbandman who putteth in the
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  Speaker 1: sickle because the harvest is come, can be no other
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  Speaker 1: than Christ. It is he who, at the last great
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  Speaker 1: day will reap the harvest of the earth. But the
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  Speaker 1: sower of the seed represents those who labor in Christ's stead.
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  Speaker 1: The seed is said to spring and grow up, he
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  Speaker 1: knoweth not how. And this is not true of the
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  Speaker 1: son of God. Christ does not sleep over his charge,
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  Speaker 1: but watches it day and night. He is not ignorant
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  Speaker 1: of how the seed grows. The parable of the seed
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  Speaker 1: reveals that God is at work in nature. The seed
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  Speaker 1: has in itself a germinating principle, a principle that God
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  Speaker 1: himself has implanted. Yet if left to itself, the seed
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  Speaker 1: would have no power to spring up. Man has his
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  Speaker 1: part to act in promoting the growth of the grain.
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  Speaker 1: He must prepare and enrich the soil and cast in
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  Speaker 1: the seed. He must till the fields. But there is
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  Speaker 1: a point beyond which he can accomplish. Nothing strength or
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  Speaker 1: wisdom of man can bring forth the seed of the
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  Speaker 1: living plant. Let man put forth his efforts to the
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  Speaker 1: utmost limit. He must still depend upon one who has
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  Speaker 1: connected the sowing and the reaping by wonderful lengths of
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  Speaker 1: his own omnipotent power. There is life in the seed,
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  Speaker 1: there is power in the soil. But unless an infinite
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  Speaker 1: power is exercised day and night, the seed will yield
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  Speaker 1: no returns. The showers of rain must be sent to
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  Speaker 1: give moisture to the thirsty fields. The sun must impart heat,
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  Speaker 1: electricity must be conveyed to the buried seed. The life
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  Speaker 1: which the Creator has implanted, he alone can call forth.
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  Speaker 1: Every seed grows, every plant develops by the power of God.
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  Speaker 1: As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the
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  Speaker 1: garden causeth the things that are sown in it to
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  Speaker 1: spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and
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  Speaker 1: praise to spring forth. As in the natural, so in
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  Speaker 1: the spiritual sowing. The teacher of truth must seek to
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  Speaker 1: prepare the soil of the heart. He must sow the seed.
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  Speaker 1: But the power that alone can produce life is from God.
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  Speaker 1: There is a point beyond which human effort is in vain.
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  Speaker 1: While we are to preach the Word, we cannot impart
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  Speaker 1: the power that will quicken the soul and cause righteousness
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  Speaker 1: and praise to spring forth. In the preaching of the Word,
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  Speaker 1: there must be the working of an agency beyond any
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  Speaker 1: human power. Only through the Divine Spirit will the Word
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  Speaker 1: be living and powerful to renew the soul unto eternal life.
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  Speaker 1: This is what Christ tried to impress upon his disciples.
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  Speaker 1: He taught that it was nothing they possessed in themselves
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  Speaker 1: which would give success to their labors, but that it
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  Speaker 1: is the miracle working power of God which gives efficiency
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  Speaker 1: to his own word. The work of the sower is
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  Speaker 1: a work of faith. The mystery of the germination and
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  Speaker 1: growth of the seed he cannot understand, but he has
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  Speaker 1: confidence in the agencies by which God causes vegetation to flourish.
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  Speaker 1: In casting his seed into the ground, he is apparently
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  Speaker 1: throwing away the precious grain that might furnish bread for
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  Speaker 1: his family. But he is only giving up a present
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  Speaker 1: good for a larger return. He casts the seed away
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  Speaker 1: expecting together at many fold and an abundant harvest. So
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  Speaker 1: Christ's servants are to labor, expecting a harvest from the
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  Speaker 1: seed they sow. The good seed may be for a
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  Speaker 1: time lie unnoticed in a cold, selfish, worldly heart, giving
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  Speaker 1: no evidence that it has taken root. But afterward, as
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  Speaker 1: the spirit of God breathes on the soul, the hidden
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  Speaker 1: seed springs up and at last bears fruit to the
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  Speaker 1: glory of God. In our life work, we know not
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  Speaker 1: which shall prosper this or that. This is not a
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  Speaker 1: question for us to settle. We are to do our
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  Speaker 1: work and leave the results with God. In the morning,
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  Speaker 1: sow thy seed in the evening, withhold not thine hand.
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  Speaker 1: God's great covenant declares that while the earth remaineth seed,
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  Speaker 1: time and harvest shall not cease. In the confidence of
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  Speaker 1: this promise, the husbandman tills and sows. Not less confidently
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  Speaker 1: are we in the spiritual sowing to labor, trusting his assurance.
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  Speaker 1: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of
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  Speaker 1: my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but
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  Speaker 1: it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
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  Speaker 1: prosper in the thing. Whereto I scent it, he that
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  Speaker 1: goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come
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  Speaker 1: again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. The germination
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  Speaker 1: of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and
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  Speaker 1: the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of
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  Speaker 1: Christian greens. As in nature, so in grace. There can
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  Speaker 1: be no life without growth. The plant must either grow
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  Speaker 1: or die. As its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous,
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  Speaker 1: so is the development of the Christian life. At every
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  Speaker 1: stage of development. Our life may be perfect, yet if
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  Speaker 1: God's purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement.
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  Speaker 1: Sanctification is the work of a lifetime. As our opportunities multiply,
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  Speaker 1: our experience will enlarge and our knowledge increase. We shall
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  Speaker 1: become strong to bear responsibility, and our maturity will be
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  Speaker 1: in proportion to our privileges. The plant grows by receiving
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  Speaker 1: that which God has provided to sustain its life. It
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  Speaker 1: sends down at roots into the earth. It drinks in
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  Speaker 1: the sunshine, the dew, and the rain. It receives the
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  Speaker 1: life giving properties from the air. Christian is to grow
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  Speaker 1: by cooperating with the divine agencies. Feeling our helplessness, we
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  Speaker 1: are to improve all the opportunities granted us, to gain
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  Speaker 1: a fuller experience. As the plant takes root in the soil,
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  Speaker 1: so we are to take deep root in Christ. As
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  Speaker 1: the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, the rain. We
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  Speaker 1: are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. The
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  Speaker 1: work is to be done not by might nor by power,
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  Speaker 1: but by My Spirit, Saith, the Lord of Hosts. If
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  Speaker 1: we keep our minds stayed upon Christ, he will come
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  Speaker 1: unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain,
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  Speaker 1: unto the earth, as the Sun of righteousness. He will
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  Speaker 1: arise upon us with healing in his wings. We shall
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  Speaker 1: grow as the lily. We shall revive as the corn,
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  Speaker 1: and grow as the vine. By constantly relying upon Christ
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  Speaker 1: as our personal savior, we shall grow up into Him
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  Speaker 1: in all things, who is our head. The wheat develops
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  Speaker 1: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full
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  Speaker 1: corn in the ear. The object of the husbandman in
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  Speaker 1: the sowing of the seed and the culture of the
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  Speaker 1: growing plant, is the production of grain. He desires bread
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  Speaker 1: for the hungry and seed for future harvests. So the
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  Speaker 1: divine husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of
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  Speaker 1: his labor and sacrifice. Christ is seeking to reproduce himself
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  Speaker 1: in the hearts of men, and he does this through
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  Speaker 1: those who believe in him. The object of the Christian
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  Speaker 1: life is fruit bearing, the reproduction of Christ's character in
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  Speaker 1: the believer, that it may be reproduced in others. The
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  Speaker 1: plant does not germinate, grow, or bring forth fruit for itself,
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  Speaker 1: but to give seed to the sower and bread to
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  Speaker 1: the eater. So no man is to live unto himself.
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  Speaker 1: The Christian is in the world as a representative of
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  Speaker 1: Christ for the salvation of other souls. There can be
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  Speaker 1: no growth or fruitlessness in the life that is centered
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  Speaker 1: in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal savior,
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  Speaker 1: you are to forget yourself and try to help others.
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  Speaker 1: Talk of the love of Christ, tell of his goodness,
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  Speaker 1: do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of
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  Speaker 1: souls upon your heart, and by every means and your power,
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  Speaker 1: seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit
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  Speaker 1: of Christ, the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others,
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  Speaker 1: you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of
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  Speaker 1: the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase,
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  Speaker 1: your convictions, deepen, your love, be made perfect more and
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  Speaker 1: more you will reflect the likeness of Christ and all
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  Speaker 1: that is pure, noble, and lovely. The fruit of the
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  Speaker 1: Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
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  Speaker 1: and temperance. This fruit can never perish, but will produce,
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  Speaker 1: after its kind, a harvest unto eternal life. When the
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  Speaker 1: fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle,
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  Speaker 1: because the harvest is come. Christ is waiting with longing
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  Speaker 1: desire for the manifestation of himself in his church. When
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  Speaker 1: the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people,
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  Speaker 1: then He will come to claim them as his own.
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  Speaker 1: It is the privilege of every Christian not only to
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  Speaker 1: look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. Were all who profess his name, bearing fruit
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  Speaker 1: to his glory, How quickly the whole world would be
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  Speaker 1: sown with the seed of the Gospel. Quickly the last
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  Speaker 1: great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come together
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  Speaker 1: the precious grief. End of Chapter three