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06 - Other Lessons from Seed-Sowing - Christ's Object Lessons · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter six. Other lessons from seed sowing, from the work
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  Speaker 1: of seed sowing, in the growth of the plant from
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  Speaker 1: the seed. Precious lessons may be taught in the family
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  Speaker 1: and in the school. Let the children in youth learn
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  Speaker 1: to recognize in natural things the working of divine agencies,
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  Speaker 1: and they will be enabled to grasp by faith unseen benefits.
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  Speaker 1: As they come to understand the wonderful work of God
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  Speaker 1: in supplying the wants of his great family, and how
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  Speaker 1: we are to co operate with him, they will have
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  Speaker 1: more faith in God and will realize more of his
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  Speaker 1: power in their own daily life. God created the seed,
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  Speaker 1: as he created the earth, by his word. By his word,
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  Speaker 1: he gave it power to grow and to multiply. He said,
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  Speaker 1: let the earth bring forth grass, and the herb yielding seed,
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  Speaker 1: and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose
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  Speaker 1: seed is in itself upon the earth. And it was so,
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  Speaker 1: and God saw that it was good. It is that
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  Speaker 1: word which still causes the seeds to grow. Every seed
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  Speaker 1: that sends up its green blade. The sunlight declares the
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  Speaker 1: wonder working power of that word uttered by him who spake,
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  Speaker 1: And it was who commanded, and it stood fast. Christ
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  Speaker 1: taught his disciples to pray, give us this day our
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  Speaker 1: daily bread, and pointing to the flowers, he gave them
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  Speaker 1: the assurance, if God so clothes the grass of the field,
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  Speaker 1: shall he not much more clothe you. Christ is constantly
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  Speaker 1: working to answer this prayer and to make good his assurance.
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  Speaker 1: There is an invisible power constantly at work as man's servant,
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  Speaker 1: to feed and to clothe him. Many agencies our Lord
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  Speaker 1: employs to make the seed apparently thrown away a living plant,
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  Speaker 1: and he supplies in due proportion all that is required
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  Speaker 1: to perfect the harvest. In the beautiful words of the Psalmist,
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  Speaker 1: Thou visitest the earth and waterest it. Thou greatly enrichest it.
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  Speaker 1: The river of God is full of water. Thou providest
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  Speaker 1: them corn. When thou hast so prepared the earth, Thou
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  Speaker 1: waterest her furrows abundantly. Thou settlest the ridges thereof, Thou
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  Speaker 1: makest it soft with showers. Thou blessest the springing thereof.
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  Speaker 1: Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths
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  Speaker 1: drop fatness. The material world is under God's control. The
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  Speaker 1: laws of nature are obeyed by nature. Everything speaks and
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  Speaker 1: acts the will of the creator. Cloud and sunshine, dew
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  Speaker 1: and rain, wind and storm, all are under the supervision
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  Speaker 1: of God and yield implicit obedience to his command. It
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  Speaker 1: is in obedience to the law of God that the
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  Speaker 1: spire of grain bursts through the ground, first the blade,
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  Speaker 1: then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
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  Speaker 1: These the Lord develops in their proper season, because they
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  Speaker 1: do not resist His working. And can it be that
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  Speaker 1: man made in the image of God, endowed with reason
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  Speaker 1: and speech, shall alone be unappreciative of his gifts and
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  Speaker 1: disobedient to His will? Shall rational beings alone cause confusion
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  Speaker 1: in our world? In everything that tends to the sustenance
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  Speaker 1: of man is seen the concurrence of divine and human effort.
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  Speaker 1: There can be no reaping unless the human hand acts
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  Speaker 1: its part in the sowing of the seed. But without
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  Speaker 1: the agencies which God provides in giving sunshine and showers
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  Speaker 1: do in clouds, there would be no increase. Thus it
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  Speaker 1: is in every business pursuit, in every department of study,
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  Speaker 1: in science, Thus it is in spiritual things, in the
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  Speaker 1: formation of character, and in every line of Christian work.
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  Speaker 1: We have a part to act, But we must have
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  Speaker 1: the power of Divinity to unite with us, or our
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  Speaker 1: efforts will be in vain. Whenever man accomplishes anything, whether
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  Speaker 1: in spiritual or in temporal lines, he should bear in
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  Speaker 1: mind that he does it through cooperation with his Maker.
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  Speaker 1: There is great necessity for us to realize our dependence
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  Speaker 1: on God. Too much confidence is placed in man, too
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  Speaker 1: much reliance on human inventions. There is too little confidence
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  Speaker 1: in the power which God stands ready to give. We
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  Speaker 1: are laborers together with God. Immeasurably inferior is the part
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  Speaker 1: which the human agent sustains. But if he is linked
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  Speaker 1: with the divinity of Christ, he can do all things
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  Speaker 1: through the strength that Christ imparts. The gradual development of
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  Speaker 1: the plant from the seed is an object lesson in
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  Speaker 1: child training. There is first the blade, then the ear,
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  Speaker 1: after that the full corn in the ear. He who
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  Speaker 1: gave this parable created the tiny seed, gave it its
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  Speaker 1: vital properties, and ordained the laws that govern its growth.
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  Speaker 1: And the truths which the Parable teaches were made a
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  Speaker 1: living reality in his own life. In both his physical
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  Speaker 1: and his spiritual nature, he followed the divine order of
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  Speaker 1: growth illustrated by the plant, as he wishes all youth
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  Speaker 1: to do. Although he was the majesty of Heaven, the
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  Speaker 1: King of Glory. He became a babe in Bethlehem and
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  Speaker 1: for a time represented the helpless infant in its mother's care.
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  Speaker 1: In childhood he did the works of an obedient child.
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  Speaker 1: He spoke and acted with wisdom of a child and
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  Speaker 1: not of a man, honoring his parents and carrying out
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  Speaker 1: their w wishes in helpful ways according to the ability
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  Speaker 1: of a child. But at each stage of his development
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  Speaker 1: he was perfect, with the simple natural grace of a
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  Speaker 1: sinless life. The Sacred Record says of his childhood, the
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  Speaker 1: child grew and waxed, strong in spirit, filled with wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: and the grace of God was upon him, and of
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  Speaker 1: his youth it is recorded Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,
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  Speaker 1: and in favor with God and with man. The work
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  Speaker 1: of parents and teachers is here suggested. They should aim
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  Speaker 1: so to cultivate the tendencies of the youth, that at
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  Speaker 1: each stage of their life they may represent the natural
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  Speaker 1: beauty appropriate to that period, unfolding naturally as do plants
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  Speaker 1: in the garden. Those children are most attractive who are
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  Speaker 1: natural unaffected. It is not wise to give them special
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  Speaker 1: notice and repeat their clever sayings before them. Vanity should
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  Speaker 1: not be encouraged by praising their looks, their words, or
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  Speaker 1: their actions, nor should they be dressed in an expensive
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  Speaker 1: or showy manner. This incurges pride in them and awakens
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  Speaker 1: envy in the hearts of their companions. The little ones
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  Speaker 1: should be educated in childlike simplicity. They should be trained
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  Speaker 1: to be content with the small, helpful duties and the
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  Speaker 1: pleasures and experiences natural to their years. Childhood answers to
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  Speaker 1: the blade in the parable, and the blade has a
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  Speaker 1: beauty peculiarly of its own. The children should not be
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  Speaker 1: forced into precocious maturity, but should retain as long as possible,
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  Speaker 1: the freshness and grace of their early years. The little
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  Speaker 1: children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with
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  Speaker 1: their years. This is all that God expects of them.
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  Speaker 1: They need to be educated in spiritual things, and parents
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  Speaker 1: should give them every advantage that they may form characters
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  Speaker 1: after the similitude of the character of Christ in the
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  Speaker 1: laws of God. In nature, effect follows cause with unerring certainty.
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  Speaker 1: The reaping will testify as to what the sowing has been.
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  Speaker 1: The slothful worker is condemned by his work. The harvest
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  Speaker 1: bears witness against him. So in spiritual things, the faithfulness
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  Speaker 1: of every worker is measured by the results of his work.
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  Speaker 1: The character of his work, whether diligent or slothful, is
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  Speaker 1: revealed by the harvest. It is thus that his destiny
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  Speaker 1: for eternity is decided. Every seed sown produces a harvest
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  Speaker 1: of its kind. So it is in the human life
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  Speaker 1: we all need to sow the seeds of compassion, sympathy,
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  Speaker 1: and love, for we shall reap what we sow. Every
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  Speaker 1: characteristic of selfishness, self love, self esteem, every act of
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  Speaker 1: self indulgence will bring forth a like harvest. He who
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  Speaker 1: lives for self is sowing to the flesh, and of
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  Speaker 1: the flesh he will reap. Corruption. God destroys no man.
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  Speaker 1: Every one who is destroyed will have destroyed himself. Everyone
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  Speaker 1: who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds
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  Speaker 1: of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest. By
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  Speaker 1: rejecting the first warning from My God, Pharaoh of Old
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  Speaker 1: sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. God
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  Speaker 1: did not compel him to disbelieve the seed of unbelief,
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  Speaker 1: which he sowed produced a harvest of its kind. Thus
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  Speaker 1: his resistance continued until he looked upon his devastated land,
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  Speaker 1: upon the cold, dead form of his first born, and
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  Speaker 1: the first born of all in his house, and of
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  Speaker 1: all the families in his kingdom, until the waters of
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  Speaker 1: the sea closed over his horses and his chariots and
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  Speaker 1: his men of war. His history is a fearful illustration
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  Speaker 1: of the truth of the words, that whatsoever a man soweth,
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  Speaker 1: that shall he also reap. Did men but realize this,
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  Speaker 1: they would be careful what seed they sow, as the
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  Speaker 1: seed sown produces a harvest, and this in turn is sown.
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  Speaker 1: The harvest is multiplied. In our relation to others. This
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  Speaker 1: law holds true every act, every word is a seed
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  Speaker 1: that will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of obedience,
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  Speaker 1: or of self denial will reproduce itself in others, and
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  Speaker 1: through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice,
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  Speaker 1: or dissension is a seed that will spring up in
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  Speaker 1: a root of bitterness, whereby many shall be defiled, and
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  Speaker 1: how much larger number will the many poison. Thus the
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  Speaker 1: sowing of good and evil goes on for time and
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  Speaker 1: for eternity. Liberality, both in spiritual and in temporal things,
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  Speaker 1: is taught in the lesson of seed sowing. The Lord says,
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  Speaker 1: blessed are ye that so beside all waters. This I say,
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  Speaker 1: he which soeth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, And he
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  Speaker 1: which soeth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. To so beside
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  Speaker 1: all waters means a continual imparting of God's gifts. It
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  Speaker 1: means giving wherever the cause of God or the needs
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  Speaker 1: of humanity demand our aid. This will not tend to poverty.
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  Speaker 1: He which soeth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. The sower
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  Speaker 1: multiplies his seed by casting it away. So it is
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  Speaker 1: with those who are faithful in distributing God's gifts. By imparting,
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  Speaker 1: they increase their blessings. God has promised them a sufficiency
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  Speaker 1: that they may continue to give. Give, And it shall
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  Speaker 1: be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down and shaken
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  Speaker 1: together and running over shall men give into your bosom.
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  Speaker 1: And more than this is wrapped up in the sowing
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  Speaker 1: and reaping. As we distribute God's temporal blessings, the evidence
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  Speaker 1: of our love and sympathy awakens in the receiver. Gratitude
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  Speaker 1: and thanksgiving to God. The soil of the heart is
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  Speaker 1: prepared to receive the seeds of spiritual truth, and he
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  Speaker 1: who ministers seed to the sower will cause the seed
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  Speaker 1: to germinate and bear fruit unto eternal life. By the
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  Speaker 1: casting of the grain into the soil, Christ represents the
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  Speaker 1: sacrifice of himself for our redemption. Except a corn of
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  Speaker 1: wheat fall into the ground and die, he says, it
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  Speaker 1: abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
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  Speaker 1: So the death of Christ will result in fruit for
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God, in accordance with the law of
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  Speaker 1: the vegetable kingdom. Life will be the result of his death,
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  Speaker 1: and all who would bring forth fruit as workers together
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  Speaker 1: with Christ, must first fall into the ground and die.
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  Speaker 1: The life must be cast into the furrow of the
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  Speaker 1: world's need. Self love, self interest must perish. But the
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  Speaker 1: law of self sacrifice is the law of self preservation.
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  Speaker 1: The seed buried in the ground produces fruit, and in
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  Speaker 1: turn this is planted. Thus the harvest is multiplied. The
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  Speaker 1: husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So in
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  Speaker 1: human life, to give is to live. The life that
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  Speaker 1: will be preserved is the life that is freely given
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  Speaker 1: in service to God and Man. Those who, for Christ's
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  Speaker 1: sake sacrifice their life in this world will keep it
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  Speaker 1: unto life eternal. The seed dies to spring forth into
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  Speaker 1: new life, and in this we are taught the lesson
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  Speaker 1: of resurrection. All who love God will live again in
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  Speaker 1: the eden above. Of the human body laid away to
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  Speaker 1: molder in the grave. God has said, it is sown
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  Speaker 1: into corruption, and it is raised in incorruption. It is
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  Speaker 1: sown in dishonor and raised in glory. It is sown
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  Speaker 1: in weakness, and it is raised in power. Such are
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  Speaker 1: a few of the many lessons taught by nature's living
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  Speaker 1: parable of the sower and the seed. As parents and
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  Speaker 1: teachers try to teach these lessons, the work should be
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  Speaker 1: made practical. Let the children themselves prepare the soil and
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  Speaker 1: sow the seed. As they work, the parent or teacher
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  Speaker 1: can explain the garden of the heart with the good
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  Speaker 1: or bad seed sown there, and that as the garden
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  Speaker 1: must be prepared for the natural seed, so the heart
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  Speaker 1: must be prepared for the seed of truth. As the
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  Speaker 1: seed is cast into the ground, they can teach the
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  Speaker 1: lesson of Christ's death, and as the blade springs up
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  Speaker 1: the truth of the resurrection. As the plants grow, the
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  Speaker 1: correspondence between the natural and the spiritual sowing may be continued.
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  Speaker 1: The youth should be instructed in a similar way. They
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  Speaker 1: should be taught to till the soil. It would be
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  Speaker 1: well if there were connected with every school lands for cultivation.
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  Speaker 1: Such lands should be regarded as God's own school room.
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  Speaker 1: Thing of nature should be looked upon as a lessoned
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  Speaker 1: book which his children are to study, and from which
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  Speaker 1: they may obtain knowledge as to the culture of the soul.
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  Speaker 1: In tilling the soil, in disciplining, and in subduing the land,
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  Speaker 1: lessons may constantly be learned. Not one would think of
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  Speaker 1: settling upon a raw piece of land expecting it to
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  Speaker 1: at once yield a harvest. Earnestness, diligence, and persevering labor
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  Speaker 1: are to be put forth in treating the soil preparatory
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  Speaker 1: to sowing the seed. So it is in the spiritual
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  Speaker 1: work in the human heart. Those who would be benefited
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  Speaker 1: by the tilling of the soil must go forth with
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  Speaker 1: the word of God in their hearts. They will then
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  Speaker 1: find the fallow ground of the heart broken by the softening,
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  Speaker 1: subduing influence of the Holy Spirit. Unless hard work is
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  Speaker 1: bestowed on the soil, it will not yield a harvest.
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  Speaker 1: So with the soil of the heart, the spirit of
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  Speaker 1: God must work upon it to refine and discipline it
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  Speaker 1: before it can bring forth fruit to the glory of God.
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  Speaker 1: The soil will not produce its riches when worked by
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  Speaker 1: imp It needs thoughtful daily attention. It must be plowed
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  Speaker 1: often and deep, with a view to keeping out the
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  Speaker 1: weeds that take nourishment from the good seed planted. Thus,
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  Speaker 1: those who plow and so prepare for the harvest. None
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  Speaker 1: needs stand in the field amid the sad wreck of
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  Speaker 1: their hopes. The blessing of the Lord will rest upon
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  Speaker 1: those who thus work the land, learning spiritual lessons from nature.
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  Speaker 1: In cultivating the soil, the worker knows little what treasures
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  Speaker 1: will open up before him. When he is not to
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  Speaker 1: despise the instruction he may gather from minds that have
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  Speaker 1: had an experience, and from the information that intelligent men
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  Speaker 1: may impart. He should gather lessons for himself. This is
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  Speaker 1: part of his training. The cultivation of the soil will
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  Speaker 1: prove an education to the soul. He who causes the
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  Speaker 1: seed to spring up who tends it day and night,
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  Speaker 1: who gives it power to develop, is the author of
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  Speaker 1: our being, the King of Heaven, and he exercises still
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  Speaker 1: greater care and interest in behalf of his children. While
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  Speaker 1: the humans so is planting the seed to sustain our
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  Speaker 1: earthly life, the divine sower will plant into the soul
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  Speaker 1: seed that will bring forth fruit unto life everlasting. End
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  Speaker 1: of Chapter six