The crops are ripening fast; we may see the color change. The seed has been sown: all is ready for the closing scene. We go back eighteen centuries. Jesus sat in the little ship, and a great multitude stood on the shore. He spoke many things unto them in parables. The time had not yet come to explain these things. The mystery of the church was, as yet, kept a secret. The mystery of the kingdom of heaven, during the absence of the King in heaven, was entirely unknown.
The prophets had not this wondrous interval of time revealed to them distinctly—from the death of Messiah, to His coming again to set up His kingdom on earth. The Spirit had foretold His ministry, His suffering and death, and His kingdom over all the earth.
We desire to call attention to the fact, how exactly this remarkable discourse has been fulfilled. The first parable describes the entire change that took place, from Judaism to Christianity—from commanding to sowing. “A sower went forth to sow” No longer seeking fruit from barren humanity, but implanting a new life by the preached word. And, to this day, but a part of the seed sown brings forth fruit. Thus the first parable describes exactly what has, and does, take place in a general way. The next three parables describe the outward aspect of the kingdom of heaven during the absence of the King. The last three describe the result of the purpose of God during this remarkable period.
It is, however, to the second parable we desire to call especial attention. “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.” The first parable is the introduction of the new principle of sowing seed, or new life, and its results. The remaining six are similitudes. A man sowed good seed in his field. “But while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came, and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence, then, hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou, then, that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, “Gather ye together first the tares? and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” The word translated, “tare,” means, the “darnel,” a plant that grows about four feet high, something like rye, but the seed is very injurious. We will keep to the word tare, with this explanation. The multitude could not in the least understand what this parable meant. How could they, since they knew nothing of this long period of time in which it would be fulfilled? It will be quite different in the millennium; as Isaiah had foretold, the wicked will be judged, and die. (Isa. 65:2020There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. (Isaiah 65:20).), We wall now hear the Lord’s explanation to His disciples. (Ver. 37.) “He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man.” There can be no mistake—the sower is Himself. Whatever means He may employ, He is the Sower of the good seed. “The Field is the world.” How strange that there should be so common a mistake, as though He had said, “The field is the church.” The church is not once named in these parables; indeed, it is not until we come to chapter xvi. that the church is named, and then as a future thing. “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
No, the field is not the church, but the world; and in this field there are two kinds of seed sown, “The good seed are the children of the kingdom; But the tares are the children of the wicked” (one). Thus the Lord Jesus, looking on to the harvest time, sees only two classes—the children of the kingdom, and the children of the wicked (one)—the wheat and the tares. This is just what He sees now; two companies, about to be reaped, for the harvest is close at hand. What a sight, to see as He sees!
He (the King) is away in heaven. Two parties impose the kingdom, or, as we say, Christendom. All who are truly born of God, who have passed from death unto life, form one part of the coming harvest; all the unconverted in the kingdom form the other part—the tares. The children of the kingdom—the wheat—are about to be gathered into the garner; the doom of the others we shall find equally certain. Who are they? The children of the wicked one. Who sowed them in Christ’s field—the world, that part of the world that professes His name? “The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” These are plain, but awful words.
This took place whilst men slept. Yes, whilst the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. What is called the history of the church is really the history of this kingdom in mystery.
There we may learn the fulfillment of this parable. Who has sown all these hosts of unconverted men in the kingdom during the absence of the King? “The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” We must not limit this searching inquiry to the dark ages, when the tares persecuted the wheat to bitter death. What has been the work of the enemy, even during the last three hundred years? Nay, what has been the state of even the most favored country in this field—England? Almost the whole of the professed ministers of Christ were notoriously unconverted men, and “the enemy that sowed them is the devil.” What solemn words! but they are the words of Him who is the truth. And what was the state of those forming the Greek and Roman church? God had His hidden, nearly buried, wheat; and He had His servants proclaiming the gospel, so far as they knew it.
What is the true state of Christendom at this moment? Who are wheat, and who are tares!
Who are the children of the kingdom, and who are the children of the wicked one? who?
What say you, reader; to which class do you belong? Take the first test. John, writing to the children of God, says, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.” (1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12).) Have you this mark of the children? Do you know that your sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake? The children of the kingdom know this. The children of the wicked one never know this—nay, often declare it cannot be known.
To begin with the most boasting in this country—the Church of Home; of all the thousands of its priests, how many have the mark of sins forgiven for Christ’s sake? Could you find one in a hundred? And who sowed all the tares? “The enemy that sowed them is the devil.”
If this be true—and can we deny it? —them what must be the state of the flocks? We pretend to no infallible knowledge; the Lord knoweth them that are His. But we have been much—yea, deeply—impressed with the remark of an intelligent christian clergyman of the Protestant Establishment to a friend of ours. After close observation, he had come to the conclusion, that there were great numbers even now of the clergy unconverted. The Lord knows; but is it possible that He sees thousands of tares—clergymen, professed ministers of Christ, some holding in their head, and some denying, the truths of the Reformation? And who sowed every one of them, every unconverted clergyman in England? “The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” Think of the spiritual condition of all these parishes. And is Presbyterianism or any other—ism, any better? Lord, open our eyes, to see as Thou seest.
There are two marks of the wheat—very unmistakable ones. We have seen one: sins forgiven for Christ’s sake—not for the sake of anything we have done, but for His sake who died for us, and was raised from the dead for our justification; and the other is—that the wheat is ready to be gathered into the garner; to be taken, at any moment, to the inheritance of the saints in light. Thus they are ready, and wait, “giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” &c. (Col. 1:1212Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12).) Yes, they have eternal redemption through the blood of Christ, and are therefore ready, as the children of the kingdom, to be taken to the garner.
We beg of all our readers to apply at least these two tests: Have you the blessed certainty that your sins are forgiven you for Christ’s sake? and can you give thanks that you are—yea, that the Father hath made you—meet for the inheritance of the saints in light? If you cannot answer these two marks in the affirmative, whatever your profession, or position in the kingdom, you may be a tare. O God, search us by Thy truth.
We will look, in the next place, at the harvest.