custom to take some familiar event, which was passing before His eyes, and make it the groundwork of His instruction. was so in the present instance.

Probably it Perhaps that

very morning, as He came to the Lake, His eye may have rested on some labourer, who was busily engaged in sowing his field. This at once supplies Him with a fit subject for His teaching, and He forthwith utters this well-known Parable of the Sower. The object of it is to show that there is a right and a wrong way of hearing the Word of God.

Our Lord begins by saying, "A sower went forth to sow. And when he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls came, and devoured it up."

We may suppose that the Field here spoken of had a pathway, either through the middle of it, or by the hedge-side, just as we very often see in the present day. Some of the seed falls on this hard, beaten path; and there it lies on the surface. As well might you expect it to spring up, if dropped upon your room floor, as to see it sink in, and grow, upon that trodden path. No; there it remains, till the fowls of the air come, and fly off with it.

Now, then, let us see what explanation our Lord gives of this part of the Parable. Look at verse 18, "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."

The class of hearers here described we may call Careless Hearers. And this is no uncommon class. Many go to the house of God without the slightest desire to profit by what they hear. The word spoken has not the least effect upon their hearts. It makes no impression whatever. They allow Satan to snatch it away, as soon as it falls.

This is sad to think of; but it is most true. What! has God sent us a message, and are there any who care not to receive it? Does He tell us of our sins, and of a gracious Saviour who can deliver us from them? Does He speak to us of heaven and hell? And are these things nothing to us - not worth listening to? Alas! so it is with some. May it not be so with us!

But let us go on with the Parable, and see how other portions of the seed fared. "Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away."

"

The stony places," mentioned here, were probably certain patches in the field, where the soil was very bare. There was just a thin coating of mould, and the rock or stone beneath. Here the seed quickly springs up, and takes root; and all the quicker because there is no depth of soil to bury it. But almost immediately, it dies away. The sun too, which greatly helps it in other parts of the field, scorches and destroys it here.

We have again our Lord's own explanation of the passage, in verses 20, 21:-" He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

Now, this describes those whom we may call Shallow and Unstable Hearers.

There are some in every congregation, who listen attentively enough to the word, whilst the Minister declares it. There is no opposition to it-no cold rejection of God's message; but, on the contrary, a willing acceptance of it. The heart welcomes it; and it awakens a joy in the soul. There is some hope, for the moment, that the heart is touched-that some impression is made that God's converting, life-giving power is felt within. But, alas! it is only the surface of the water that is ruffled. The arrow has only grazed the skin, and then glanced off again. The feelings are only roused for an instant; but the whole inner man remains much as it was before. A serious thought or

two comes across the mind; and presently all

passes away.

Is it not so with many?

Has it ever been

so with you? There has, perhaps, been an inward joy, when the Word was spoken. You felt for the moment as if sin was hateful to you, as if Christ was precious, and as if you could give your whole heart to God. Your soul was warmed within you. That was a

blessed time; and oh, that it had lasted!

But it was not God's own work, and therefore it did not stand. It was not a tree of His gracious planting. It had no root. It withered away, having no support.

From this portion of the Parable we learn that there may be strong feeling in a person. There may be a whispering of the consciencea starting up as of one awakened out of sleep. All this may take place; and yet there may be no conversion, no saving work of grace within, no deliberate turning of the heart to God, no blessed fruit showing itself in an altered life.

We may learn further that there is a trying, sifting time with most hearers. Just as the cutting winds, the nipping frost, and the long scorching drought, all serve to try the tender blade of corn, whether it will endure only for a while, or whether it is fairly and lastingly rooted, even so the Christian has his trials too. Difficulties spring up. He once fancied that religion was an easy matter, but he finds that the gate is strait, and the way narrow. must be put away, and the heart weaned from many things which it used to love. too there is persecution to be borne.

Sin

And then

And it