what he himself had done, says, "From Jerusalem round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ;" and while Paul was thus working, the other apostles were not idle.

In this point of view likewise,

The harvest spoken of in the parable is the end of the world, the termination of the present state of things. This period is frequently spoken of in Scripture as the harvest time. "The harvest (said our Lord in reference to another parable) is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels."

But if we consider this parable in a particular point of view,

The ground on which the seed falls represents the individual person who heareth the word of the Gospel. The congregation which the minister addresses, the children instructed in the school, all who enjoy the means of grace, and are told what they must do to be saved, are here pointed out.

And in this view of the subject likewise,

The harvest means the day of death, the time when a person is called upon to leave this world and to enter upon another, and when the place where he has stood, either as corn or tare, shall know him again no more. This will suffice as a brief account of the interpretation of this parable; for we pass on to the most important part of our work, viz. to endeavour to make some

III. IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUBJECT. This parable then was intended.

(1.) To show us the nature and character of the work of grace upon the heart.

This work is silent and secret.

The farmer

sows his seed, and the seed grows in silence and in secret; it springs up and ripens, he knoweth not how. Thus it is in spiritual things.

Divine grace works upon the heart in secrecy and in silence. It begins its operations thus, and it carries them on in the same way. The work of

grace upon the heart at its first commencement is generally hidden from the eyes of the world. The friends and neighbours of the convinced sinner, especially if they know nothing of religion themselves, have no idea of what is passing in his mind. His thoughts and feelings are hidden from them. And as this work is hidden from others, so often it is hidden even from the knowledge of the sinner himself. The advanced Christian will sometimes doubt and disbelieve his own state; much more so, he who is only a babe in grace.

Sometimes the public preaching of the wordsometimes the private reading of the word-sometimes a remarkable providence, or something else, is the means employed by God for beginning or carrying on His work of grace. In either case, the effect is mysterious. It is beyond the power of human reason to understand or explain it. So true is what our Lord said to Nicodemus, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

The work of divine grace is also gradual. "The earth, (say the words of the parable) bringeth forth first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." There is a gradual progress of the plant from its first budding, to the time when it is ripe and fit to cut. And there is a gradual progress which every Christian makes in divine things. Religion in its commencement is generally weak and small: a grain of mustard seed, Our

Lord calls it in another parable. Perhaps a little fear of death-a little consciousness of sin-a few desires after the knowledge of God, this is all. There is nothing else to mark the hand of God at work; and hence the difficulty sometimes of discovering whether the religion of many persons is real or not. But time is sure to show. Real religion is a plant that grows and increases-that pushes its roots downwards and its boughs upwards—which may remain under ground for a time, but is sure to appear in sight and above ground afterwards.

This leads me to observe that

The work of divine grace is also effectual. The seed sown in the ground does spring up and bear fruit. And where God's grace does carry home the truth in love and in power to the sinner's heart, the most blessed effects are produced. The sinner becomes a new creature; old things pass away; all things become new. He learns to value his soul, of which before he seldom thought; he learns to hate sin, which before he loved; to pray, to read his Bible, to meditate upon good things, to trust in Christ, and to labour after holiness of heart and life. The same grace which put him into the way of life at first, keeps him therein afterwards, and does not finish its work, till the soul quits the body, and the sinner converted on earth, becomes a saint glorified in heaven. Thus effectual is the work of grace.

This parable was perhaps likewise intended to teach us,

(2.) The weakness and inability of man to convince and convert his fellow-creatures. The farmer has little to do in the production of his crop. He sows the seed; and when he has done that, he has

done all he can do. He cannot make one single corn of the seed grow. He cannot insure a crop, take what pains he will. Skilful and clever and active and industrious as he may be, this is out of his power.

And does not the Apostle say, " Paul may plant and Apollos water; but God giveth the increase ?” The most able and eloquent preachers and the best sermons, if God withhold His influences, will not save souls. We see this every day. People attend in places where the true word of the Gospel is fully and faithfully declared to them. They are told Sunday after Sunday of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and have the offers of life and salvation made to them over and over again. And yet it profiteth nothing; after years of hearing, they are the same as at first. It has all failed in making any lasting or salutary impression upon their minds. They are as far from the kingdom of God as they were at any time, and perhaps much farther!

This fact of their own weakness and insufficiency should make ministers humble. "We have this treasure," says the Apostle, "in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us ;" and earthen vessels are things of little value and no strength. It should make hearers likewise look beyond the means and instruments which God employs, to God Himself for a blessing. Now many are almost disposed to set up ministers in the place of God, and to attribute to them what belongs exclusively to Him; and when men go to church to worship the creature, they are not likely to meet with the blessing of the Creator.

Nevertheless, perhaps the parable before us was intended

(3.) To encourage those who labour for the good of souls, and to incite them to patience and perseverance. You would think that the farmer was little acquainted with his business and very unfit for his work, who should say, 'It is of no use for me to scatter this corn upon the ground. It will never grow. I may as well spare my pains.' This would be a foolish speech indeed. And it would be as foolish and sinful in any one to whom God has given the talent of doing good in any way, to suffer any notions and feelings of his own insufficiency to prevent him from the use thereof. For consider, (and I speak now to all who have the means and opportunities of doing any thing for the good of souls and the glory of Christ--and there are few who have not some,) consider,

That if we do not improve our talents and opportunities for doing good, God will find others who will. He will never want for labourers to cultivate His vineyard. And if we reject this high and honourable employment, the loss will be all our own. There are others in the world, perhaps with far fewer talents and opportunities than we possess, who are doing what they can in their respective stations to promote the kingdom of God. And how great will be the reward of such, in the day when it shall be inquired, What have we done for Christ?' and when he that has given even a cup of cold water out of love to the Saviour shall not lose his reward! Consider also,

That though you may see no fruit from your labours at present, you may see it at last. The farmer sows his seed, knowing that it will be a