MAN’S WILL IS THE FIELD.

I may say to you now that man’s will is the field which our Lord meant in the parable here recorded; “and the seed is the Word of God.”

Notwithstanding the practical explanation given of this parable by our Lord, a degree of obscurity still broods over it in the minds of many Bible interpreters.  What made the bad ground bad; and what made the good ground good, and how the bad ground is to be made good and productive, are questions that puzzle the minds of many.  Some may not agree with me; but I do believe that the diversities in human nature, set forth and described by our Lord in this parable, all relate to the WILL.  What makes the difference between a good man, and a bad man?  Brethren, it is the WILL.  A good man does good from a good will, and a bad man does bad from a bad will.

Let us take the wayside hearer.  There is no defect about his understanding.  His head is as clear in matters of business as any man’s.  He understands what the preacher says when he is sowing the seeds of gospel truth as readily as any one in the congregation.  Why then does the devil take away the Word out of his heart?  I answer, because the devil is very fond of doing that sort of work; and the man does not object.  In other words, the wayside hearer has no WILL to keep the Word in his heart.  If he had a will to keep the Word in his heart, and live conformably to it, the gates of hell could not prevail against it.  He would then be good ground according to the measure of his capacity, and the life of love and obedience growing out of it.

Take the rock-hearer next.  He has a very thin skin of soil over the surface of the rock that lies underneath.  From the way he goes to meeting and talks about religion, you might readily conclude that all he needs to become a bright light in the church is a little encouragement.  He says:  “That was a splendid sermon we heard to-day.  It did me good to hear that man talk.  I could listen to him for a week;” and he tells the truth; for if the man stays a week, and works up something of an excitement, this rock-hearer will go every night and praise every sermon.  I am sorry to say, however, that the devil does not try very hard to get the Word out of that man’s heart, because he knows that if he leaves it alone just a little while it will die out of itself.  The real trouble with this man is a want of WILL to reduce to practice the truth received into the understanding.  The rock, underneath the skin of soil that hides it, is a WILL which is wholly averse to the life of self-denial and godly obedience set forth in the Word which he hears.  He loves the world and himself more than God; and the delight or joy with which he hears the Word is all in the understanding.  The words of life and salvation fade from his memory, because there is no desire in his heart or WILL to retain them, as the things that belong to his everlasting peace.