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right with God. Let us see that our hearts beat true to Christ. Then shall we be found among "the Church of the firstborn which are written in heaven "-among those "righteous" ones, who shall "shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

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THE MUSTARD-SEED AND THE LEAVEN.

MATT. XIII. 31-33.

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. "Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom

of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

(See also Mark iv. 30—32; Luke xiii. 18—21.)

HERE are two Parables which are so much alike, that we will examine them together.

The main object of them both is to show that God's kingdom is a growing kingdom— very small and feeble in its beginning, but gradually increasing, until it becomes great and important.

This is shown by two comparisons.

In the First Parable, God's kingdom is compared to a Mustard Tree. Now, we have no such tree in this country; but it is found in hot climates. The seed is very small and insignificant; but after a while it grows to a considerable size; so that it is able to give shelter to the birds of the air, who "come and lodge in the branches thereof."

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This comparison of a Tree is not an unusual one in the Old Testament. The Prophet Daniel thus describes the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom :- "I saw (in a vision), and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof." Ezekiel also likens the kingdom of Assyria to a spreading tree" Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches. His height was exalted above all the trees of the field. All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs."

But our Lord, when He is speaking here of

His own kingdom, compares it to a Mustard Tree. Why is this? Many nobler plants, as the vine; or taller trees, as the fir; or larger trees, as the oak; might have been named. But the Mustard Tree is chosen for this reason-because the seed of it is extremely small, and yet it grows to a great size. He wishes to show us, not merely that His kingdom will be glorious; but that it will be glorious, in spite of its weak and despised beginning.

Then, in the Second Parable, God's kingdom is compared to the working of the Leaven in a loaf of bread. The quantity of leaven that is put into it is very small; but the meal soon swells out into a considerable bulk.

Now, we may apply these two comparisons to the working of God's grace, both in the heart, and also in the world.

1. You will observe that the Mustard-seed is brought to the field. It does not grow there naturally. It must be sown. So too with the Leaven. It is placed in the meal. It is not naturally found there.

There is something to be learnt from this.

If we are to become really religious, God's grace must come into our hearts. It is not there naturally. It must be placed there by God Himself.

Suppose you wish your field to become fruitful-you may take great pains to improve the soil-you may manure it, plough it, harrow it, and weed it most carefully. Still it will not produce corn, unless the seed is actually brought and dropped into the ground. So you may improve a person's characteryou may reform him a little-and yet he may not be a really religious man after all. What he needs is, a new heart, and a new naturesomething which he has not got, which man cannot give him: it must come from God. He must be "born from above."

St. Paul says, "It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his own good pleasure." You see, the will is from God-the first feeble desire-the first moving of the heart towards Him-the first inclination to leave the path of sin and carelessness, and to find a better path. Then, too, the power to do what is right is also from Him. By nature we are utterly powerless. We have

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