weigh all actions in a just and impartial balance, and then pronounce the irreversible sentence. But it is certain that the God who shall judge the world is Christ the Mediator. For The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son, John v. 22. It is before the judgment seat of Christ, that we must all appear. He is the God to whom every knee must bow, and every tongue confess, and every one give account of himself. Rom. xiv. 10-12, When John had a vision of the last judgment, Rev. xx. 11, 12. he saw a great white throne, on which Christ the Judge sat. And the dead small and great standing before him are said to stand before God; which is a plain proof that Christ the Judge is God. It is true the Judge of the world is also a man, Acts xvii. 31, God will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordain ed, John v. 27, He hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of But a mere man is incapable of sustaining the office of judge of the world. The Media. tor, who has the perfections of God united with the human nature, is peculiarly qualified for this office. Because he is not only a divine person, but also the Son of man. God hath there. fore given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. But he would not have committed all judg. ment to the Mediator, if he had not been God, as well as man, and so able to execute the office with which he was invested.

man.

A Christian of the Old School. (To be continued.)

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWer.

and

Or the many beautiful and in. structive parables of the great Teacher from heaven, there is not perhaps another, more deeply interesting to all classes of mankind, than the parable of the sower. This memorable parable, as related in the xiiith of Mat thew, is as follows: "Behold, a sower went forth to sow when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung 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. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.”

On hearing this parable the disciples, as Matthew informs us, asked their Master why he spake to the people in parables; and from Mark and Luke, we further learn, that they were particularly desirous more fully to understand the parable itself. They "asked him saying, What might this parable be?" Something like this was very common with the disciples. They were desirous not only to hear, but also to understand their Mas ter's instructions, and doctrine: and when they did not understand, or were at a loss for his meaning, they used the freedom, at a convenient opportunity, to request of him more fully to explain. A laudable practice this,

and highly worthy of imitation. It is of but little use for people to hear unless they understand; or, unless, at least, they have such a desire to understand, as will engage their attention, and lead them to serious thought and inquiry. Whenever, therefore, people read or hear the word of God, it should be with a sincere desire to know the true import and weight of what they read and hear; and what they do not understand, they should retain in their minds as a subject of serious inquiry, and avail themselves of the best opportunities and means for farther instruction and light.

Most pleasing, indeed, would it be, could we see in all, and especially in the young, such an attention to the word of God, and such a desire to understand what they read and hear. Were such a disposition generally to take the place of the inattention and thoughtlessness, the false modesty and pride, so prevalent to the prevention of all serious inquiry, and, consequently of all religious improvement, how different, from what at present it is, would the religious aspect of things be. How much greater, than what is now felt, would be the encouragement to parents, to ministers, and others, to labor more abundantly in the interesting work of instruction; and how much greater the improve. ment of the young, and of all, under the means, bestowed upon them, of divine knowledge and

they possessed, "it was given to know the mysteries of the king. dom of heaven." Hear ye, therefore," said he, "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. But 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 endureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth, because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word: and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and un'derstandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty."

"The seed," it is said in Luke, "is the word of God;" or, as here expressed by Matthew, "the word of the kingdom." Accordingly, by the apostle Peter, believers are said to be "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, even by the word of God, which liv. eth and abideth for ever;" and figurative allusions, to the same effect, are not unfrequent in the sacred writings. The Saviour himself, in person and by his faithful ministers, is the sower, by whom this spiritual seed is

sown.

As he, in the days of his incarnation, was laboriously en

gaged in this work; so, with un. remitting diligence and care, his ministers are to disseminate the uncorrupted, and incorruptible word of God. By the field in which this precious seed is sown, we are to understand the minds and hearts of mankind. This field, though naturally very much alike throughout, becomes, nev. ertheless, by means of the seed sown, and under the benign influences of heaven upon it, exceedingly different in different parts.

In this parable mankind are contemplated, under the figurative designations of four different kinds of ground; ground in the highway; ground which is stony or thinly spread upon a rock; ground infested with thorns; and ground good and well culti vated.

The first class is of those "that hear the word of the kingdom and understand it not; then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away, that which was sown in their hearts. These are they which received seed by the way side." Ground in the high way, by constant travelling and pass ing over it, and by its general exposure, is rendered, we know, peculiarly hard, and unfit for cultivation. This ground, therefore, very strikingly represents those of mankind, who are either so hard and impenetrable, or so thoughtless and vain, as to be inaccessible to conviction and to abide unmoved and unimpressed under the most solemn and affecting exhibitions of divine

truth.

And alas! how numerous a class does this sad description comprise! How many there are, who "receive seed by the way side."

"Some there are who have imbibed early and deep rooted prejudices against christianity: who either conceiving themselves superior to the rest of mankind in genius, knowledge, or condi. tion of life, reject with scorn what others receive with vener. ation;" or else having fallen in with the spirit and opinions of those, who openly discard the great truths of the gospel, and accustomed themselves to treat the most solemn realities with ridicule and derision, are pre. pared to resist with disdain, every attempt to gain access for the gospel to their hearts. These are the infidels, the hackneyed errorists, and the scoffers of the day. But besides these there are many more in whom the good seed has but little effect. These are the dissipated, the inattentive, the trifling, the vain, the thoughtlessly gay, who care for nothing beyond the present scene, and can treat every thing serious with contemptuous levity. Born per. haps of christian parents, and even instructed in the rudiments of christianity, they may preserve indeed some outward respect for the gospel, and attend with apparent decency on its public institutions; but here their religion ends.

If, heretofore, they have had any serious impressions, they are now entirely worn off, and have left them callous and hard as the adamant. The instant they leave the house of God, every idea of religion, and of the solemnities on which they have been attending vanishes from their thoughts. They reflect not for a moment on what they have heard; the momentous realities presented in the gospel engage no share of their attention; the

neither excite their hopes nor alarm their fears.* They come and go, from Sabbath to Sabbath, as if attendance upon the gospel were a mere matter of fashion, a common place affair, or a thing of idle curiosity or amusement; neither receiving any profit, nor even desirng to receive any.

"These are they who receive seed by the way side," where it lies uncovered, neglected, trodden under foot; until "the fowls of the air devour it," until "the wicked one catcheth it away :" and thus, while all the calls of the gospel are earnestly address ed to them, and all the solemni ties of eternity solicit their attention, they still pass on equally regardless of their welfare, and fearless of their doom.

The second class, designated in this parable, though more hope. ful in their first appearance, yet turn out, it would seem, no bet ter in the end.

Seed which falls upon stony ground, or upon earth thinly spread upon a rock, often catches and springs up with great quickness, and for a while appears flourishing and fair; but no sooner does the sun bear upon it with his scorching heat, than it languishes and withers for want of depth of earth, root, and moisture. To this our Saviour compares those of mankind, who, when they hear the word, anon with joy receive it ;" but afterwards, when tribulation or persecution ariseth, for the word's sake, immediately they are offended and fall away." And is there not of this class also a very considerable number?

66

* Porteus. VOL. I. New Series.

Ex

for a while receive the word with joy, and are much affected with it? Their passions are excited, their fears are alarmed, or their hopes are raised; they are converted, they imagine, even per haps before they have had any real conviction; they are elate i with joy and can talk with fluency, the language of religion; and, apparently outstripping, by far, the humble and well ground. ed christian, they are all engagedness and zeal, and seem on the point of flying off to heaven at once. "A fair shew," indeed, they make: but that is all. amine them closely, and it will soon be found that they have "no depth of root." Their re ligion is all upon the surface. It lies in the passions, which, indeed, are quick and susceptible of high excitement; but under which, nevertheless, there is a heart, like a rock or an adamant, unbroken for sin, unpenetrated by divine truth. With all their outward shew, they will be found to have but very little knowledge of themselves, but very inadequate conceptions of God's character and law, but very indistinct ideas either of sin or of holiness, and but very little, in fine, of any thing like a thorough, a solid and vital principle of religion.

Though they hear the word with joy; (and it would seem from the representation of the parable, that they will discover a greater eagerness to hear it, than even the good ground hear. ers ;) yet they do not receive it in the meekness of fear, and with the discernment of faith. They do not so receive it as to grow thereby" in knowledge and grace, in humility and true 31

holiness; but, as it is very significantly expressed in the parable, "anon they receive it." They receive it suddenly, and, as it were all in the mass, without thought, without reflection, without discrimination; as if it were only designed to affect them for the moment, to warm their passions, to give them a gleam of joy, and to have no farther effect, till they hear it again. Hence, though they will tell you what a fine discourse they have heard, and how delightfully they felt under it; yet yon may not think it strange, if you perceive but little evidence, that their minds have been improved, that their views of the gospel have been enlarged, that their hearts have been humbled before the majesty of God, or that they have gotten any thing of religion, other than what consists in mere ly animal frames and feelings. "By and by," therefore, when the day of trial comes, immediately they will be offended." When they have occasion to prove the soundness and excellency of their religion, in the various trials and duties, to which they are called, as they have no root in themselves," they will falter and swerve, and decline, and all their fair and flourishing appearances will be gone. "These are they, who receive seed in stony places." Their "goodness is a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away."

There is yet a third class of unfruitful hearers, designated in this interesting parable. "Some of the seed," says the divine Teacher, "fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked it." "And that which fell among thorns are they, which,

when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

From both the former classes, these thorny ground hearers are clearly distinguishable. They have not the insensibility, the inattention, the thoughtless indifference, or the contemptuous levity of the way side hearers ; neither have they the eager engagedness, the impassioned ardor, the occasional ecstacies, or the glaring shew of those of the stony ground. But they are per sons of some reflection, who are convinced of the reality and importance of religion, and intend sometime to be religious; but at present cannot find a "convenient season," for the purpose. They are regular perhaps, in their outward observance of the instituted means of grace. They hear with attention and apparent seriousness; they assent to the great truths of the gospel, and have a preference for sound and faithful preaching; and while they are hearing the word, they are sensible, in a degree, of its weight and importance. Their minds

are occasionally impressed with the realities of eternity, and they form resolutions, that they will not in future, as heretofore they have done, neglect their eternal concerns. The seed appears to be taking effect, and the pros. pect seems encouraging, that in due time, its genuine fruits will be exhibited. But, alas! the scene is soon changed, and the prospect is reversed. "They go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and pleasures of this life." The young go forth, and mingle with their