works--do not produce fruit in
the service of God. The Lord of the vineyard, that is, God, would
destroy such people, but Christ intercedes in their behalf, that time
for repentance may be given. "He is not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance." Christ came and
sought to change men's hearts, and make their lives fruitful for God.
The warning has been given, and when the Lord of the vineyard comes
again to seek good fruit the unfruitful trees shall be destroyed.

Am I a barren tree, dear Lord?
A cumberer of the ground.
Oh! give me grace to fruitful be,
And in Thy work abound.

[Illustration: THE UNFRUITFUL TREE.]

SOWING THE SEED.

A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell by the
wayside and was trodden down, and birds came and devoured it. And some
fell upon a rocky place, where there was not much soil, and as soon as
it sprang up it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some
fell among thorns and weeds, and they sprang up with it and choked it.
But other fell on good ground, and sprang up bearing ears, some with
thirty, some sixty, some a hundred seeds.

When Jesus had told this parable, His disciples asked Him to explain
it to them. He said that the seed is the Word of God. The wayside
signifies the people who hear the Word but do not understand it, and
Satan comes and takes all thought of it out of their hearts as quickly
as the birds devour the seeds. The rocky places without much earth
denote those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with great joy
and profession of faith; but it never takes deep root in their hearts,
and when they are tempted they fall away and the good seed in their
hearts is withered up. The thorns and weeds are the pleasures and
riches of this life, which root so deeply and strongly in men's hearts
that the good seed has no chance, and is soon killed off.

But the good ground is the hearts of good people, who remember God's
Word and try, every day of their lives, to do as He wishes us to do,
and to live holy and useful lives. The seed falling upon their hearts
becomes strongly rooted and grows up vigorously, bearing good fruit.

What shall be said of _your_ heart, my young friend? Is it like the
wayside? the rocky place? the thorny ground? or like a good field that
has been well prepared for the seed?

[Illustration: SOWING THE SEED.]

THE ENEMY SOWING TARES.

A certain man sowed good