MATTHEW 13, C. H. Cayce “And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, 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 hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
We do not wish to set our views up as a standard. We know we are poor and fallible and liable to err. We know we make mistakes, and our views will not do for a standard, but we are willing to give our brethren our views on any portion of God’s word, when we feel to have any light on its teaching; but if they differ from us we do not propose that our way of looking at it is the standard. On this parable of the sower we do not agree with many of our brethren. They may be right and we wrong. This makes us fearful of expressing our views— not that we are afraid of our brethren, nor afraid of the position we hold. But we trust we realize the great responsibility resting upon us to teach and advocate the truth. Feeling this great responsibility we will give some of our thoughts in regard to this parable, and if any of our readers see the matter differently, we ask them to cast the mantle of charity over us, and remember that we are as liable to make mistakes as other people.
We are aware that many of our brethren hold the position that the hearers denominated as the “wayside,” the “stony places,” and the “thorns”were all unregenerated, and that the hearers called the “good ground,” and these only, were children of God. We know that there is a preparation of heart that is necessary in order that the preaching of the gospel be of spiritual benefit to anyone. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”— lst Corinthians 2:14. Read all this chapter. It clearly teaches that the natural man, the unregenerate man, cannot be taught spiritual things. The unregenerate man does not receive the teaching of the gospel. “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”— l John 4:5,6|. This is an infallible rule by which we may know whether a man is of God or of the world in his preaching. If the world receives or endorses his preaching, it is proof positive that he is of the world in his preaching. On the other hand, if God’s people receive it, and there is a witness in it to them, it is proof positive that his preaching is of God, that the doctrine taught is the doctrine of God. These, as well as many other expressions in Holy Writ, teach conclusively that the unregenerate do not receive the preaching of the gospel, that a preparation of heart is necessary in order that one receive the gospel teaching. “He that is of God heareth God’s words,” says Jesus. If “he that is of God heareth God’s words,” then one must be of God in order to hear God’s words. If one must be of God in order to hear God’s words, then his hearing is an evidence that he is already of God. “The Lord opened Lydia’s heart, that she attended unto the things spoken of Paul. “So, the work of the Spirit in the heart must be done first before one can hear, or understand, or receive the preaching of the gospel. The Saviour, in speaking to unregenerate persons, said, “Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.” They could not hear His word because they were destitute of the spiritual life. They were not of God. It is true, they did hear the sound of His voice, the natural sound, but they did not hear in the sense of receiving His teaching.
Now, one other point we wish to notice here. If our brethren are right in their view that the wayside hearers, the stony places and the thorns all represent alien or unregenerate persons, and only the good ground represents children of God, it is still true that the preaching of the gospel is not in order to eternal life. With this view of the matter, the sowing of the seed does not prepare the ground. The ground is prepared before the seed is sown. No man sows seed in order to prepare the ground. He always prepares the ground and then sows the seed.
But we do not think these represent three classes of unregenerate and the good ground, and that only, represents the regenerate. This would give us three classes of unregenerate and only one class of children of God. All God’s children, according to this view, would be a fruit-bearing class. It is true they all have that faith that God gives, which is called a fruit of the Spirit, but they do not all bear fruit in the sense of this parable, for the fruit bearing here, we think, is in rendering obedience to the Saviour. Notice the Master’s explanation of the parable. Verses 18 and 19, “Hear ye therefore 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 wayside.” Many of the Lord’s dear children hear the word of the kingdom and do not understand it. They get many precious crumbs, perhaps, from the experimental truths the servant of the Lord proclaims, but when the minister begins to apply these same truths in a doctrinal way they cannot understand it, and the wicked one catcheth away that which was sown in their hearts. Many of God’s dear children, too, are not in the way, but are by the way— hence way side bearers. “These received seed by the way side.” Mark the expression, the statement of the Saviour, “they received seed.” Then remember Paul says “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” These received seed.
Verses 20, 21, “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 dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by be is offended. “Many of God’s people cannot stand persecutions. Many of them are good soldiers and are faithful as long as there is no fighting to do and as long as there are no persecutions to endure, but many of them have turned away from the service of the Lord by and by, when there were persecutions or trials to endure. “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.”— Ezek. 33:31-32. These heard with joy, but did not do. The hearing was all right, but the trouble was in not doing. “For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.”— Jer. 4:3. This was spoken to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, to the Lord’s people. This does not apply to the unregenerate. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”—Heb. 3:15. How careful we should be to not harden our hearts, but to attend strictly to the Lord’s ordinances and commandments in time of trials and persecutions, as well as in times of refreshing seasons. These received seed. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.”
Verse 22, “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 he becometh unfruitful.” Have you not known some of the Lord’s dear children who would hear the sweet sound of the gospel with joy and gladness, and then allow the cares of this world and their desire for riches choke the word, and they fail to bring forth fruit to the honor and glory of God in rendering obedience to Him? “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some men coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”— 1 Tim. 6:9-10. The Lord’s dear children often follow after the things of this world instead of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, as they are commanded to do, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows, and become unfruitful. These received seed, though among thorns. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.”
Verse 23, “But he that receiveth seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” These all bore fruit, but some bore more fruit than others. These took heed to the word; they endeavored to follow the Saviour, and in doing so brought forth fruit. “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;” “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”— 2 Pet. 1:5,8. Beside what the Lord has done for us— after He has given us a sweet hope in Jesus, we should be diligent; and when we are diligent in doing His commandments, which are not grievous, we are not barren or unfruitful. Oh, that we all might be more diligent in the discharge of our every duty.
We have given some of our thoughts in connection with this parable. We haven’t space for more at the present. If you do not see it as we do, we ask your kind forbearance. We want no controversy, and trust the Lord may bless these thoughts to the good of some inquiring child of God. The Primitive Baptist.