412

of fire. Then shall the righteous
shine as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father.”

What a glorious day that will
be for the people of God; but how
dreadful for all those who do not

*

e a aay
— Ne

MORE PARABLES.

really love Him! Pray that you may
be made ready now for that awful
time, that you may not cry, ag many
will when too late, “The harvest ig
past, the summer is ended, and we
are not saved!” Jer. viii. 20.0

 

CCLXXX.

More PARABLES,

bso RQESUS told the people
/ §) many other parables at
| Wl this time. He told them
pS) that the kingdom of Hea-
ven is like a grain of
mustard-seed, which a man took,
and sowed in his field; and which
grew into a tree, and the birds
came and made their nests in the
branches. And again he said, “The
kingdom of Heaven is like unto
leaven which a woman took and
hid in three measures of meal, till
all was leavened.”

What is meant by the kingdom
of Heaven? Sometimes, it means
the state of glory hereafter; but in
these parables it means, the Gospel
of Christ in the world, or the grace
of God in the heart.

These parables teach us some-
thing about what the Gospel of
Christ is doing in the world, and
what the grace of God does in the
heart. The work goes on gradu-
ally. By nature, we all love sin,
and hate holiness ; but whenever the
Holy Spirit comes into any of our
hearts, they become changed, as the
meal was: changed by the leaven
hid init. Then we begin to hate,
and resist, and overcome sin, and to

   
   

love God, and holiness, and heavenly
things. God’s grace grows in the
heart. At first, it is very, very
small; but after a time, it becomes
larger and stronger, like the mus-
tard-seed which was so little when
it was put into the ground, but
which grew at last into a great tree.

Do you really love God? If you
do, it is the Holy Spirit who has
made you love Him. But then
you must seek to love Him more;
to “grow in grace.” 2 Pet. iii. 18.
Pray as the disciples did, “ Lord, in-
crease our faith;” and “He which
hath begun a good work in you,
will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ.” Phil. i. 6.

Jesus told the people another
parable about a field in which was
hid some very great treasure. Many
people passed through this field;
but as they walked along idly and
carelessly, they did not find the
treasure. At last, a man came who
was very different from these care-

‘less people. He knew that treas-
ure was hid in the field, and he
determined to seek till he found i
So he kept his eyes fixed on the
eround, and searched carefully at
every step; and goon, to his great