marked and decided than in others. But wherever a real work of the Holy Ghost begins in the heart, the whole character is sooner or later leavened and changed. The tastes of the man are altered. The whole bias of his mind becomes different. ^'Old things pass away, and all things become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) The Lord Jesus said that it would be so, and all experience shows that so it IB.
Let us learn from this parable never to " despise the day of small things" in religion. (Zech. iv. 10.) The soul must creep before it can walk, and walk before it can run. If we see any symptom of grace beginning in a brother, however feeble, let us thank God, and be hopeful. The leaven of grace once planted in his heart, shall yet leaven the whole lump. ''He that begius the work will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. i. 6.)
Let us ask ourselves whether there is any work of grex>e In our own hearts. Are we resting satisfied witii a few vague wishes and convictions P Or do we know anything of a gradual, growing, spreading, increasing, leavening process going on in our inward man? Let nothing short of this content us. The true work of the Holy Ghost will never stand still. It will leaven the whole lump.
Notes. Luilb XIII. IS— 21.
19. — [Like a grain of mustard seed.] Some think that the grain of seed here means Christ HimselfJ^ who died, and was buried in a garden, and allege in favour of this view, the text, " Except a com of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone : but if it die, it beareth much finiit." (John xu. 24.) I am unable to see this sense in the parable. The words are