The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 170

mental and dis11strous. This ie the special temptation of the poor and hard working. Well are we directed to be" careful for nothing," etc., and" to take no thought for the morrow,'' etc. 2. "TM dereitfulnus of riches" is depicted under the figul'8 of the thorns. The possession of wealth may be a curse to the rich, and the search-the race-after riches may be a curse to the avaricious and worldly. The unwary are .deceived; for riches promise what they cannot give, and they sometimes draw away the heart from the treasure in heaven, which alone can truly enrich and satisfy for ever. How many, trusting in riches, have failed of the kingdom I 3. "The lusts of other t"/J,ings" have much of mischief laid to their charge. Pleasure is a fair and fragrant flower, but it may hide a thorn. It may be manifestly sinful, it may be doubtful, it may be innocent but unduly absorbing,-and in any such case it may choke the Word. How many are the things which men put in the place of religion I They are left unnamed, that we may supply them from our own knowledge of our own hearts and their mani- fold and varied snares. To desire aught earthly overmuch is to desire things heavenly too little. II. How DO THESE THORNS CHOKE THE BEED? In two ways: 1. By taldng up tha room which the Word requires. They occupy the short and fleeting period of timo allotted for our probation. The leisure for pondering and practically obeying the truth never comes. Time flies: the soul dies. They absorb attention and engage the heart. The words of the world must be listened to, and Christ must wait until "a more con- venient season "-which never comes. But if the world must havo our ears, must claim our hands, Christ should have our heart. .Alas I men plan and toil, prosper and grow rich, respected, powerful, famous; and in doing so neglect the Word. Little know they of the mind of Paul, "To me to live is Christ." 2. By counteracting the influence of the truth. In the former case (the rocky ground) it was persecution ; in this case it is the allurements of the world which prove injurious to the soul. Cares and lusts are thorns which must be choked or they choke. So thorn and corn grow side by side with a fa.ir show. But gradually the evil gains the victory, and goodness perishes. ·what experienced sower has not seen and mourned over the process? Warnings are in vain. The thorns grow apace; the soul becomes insensible to all the claims of Christ, to all the appeals of the gospel. So the Word is unfruitful as before. " Stones mar the root; Thorns spoil the fruit." What poor produce there is comes to no maturity, no perfection. Labour is wasted, promise is blasted, hope is clouded, all is lost I A..PPLICATION. None who receive the Word of life are free from the danger here described. Search and find out the hindrances to vigour and fruitfulness in the spiritual life. Root them all up, that the Word may live and grow and yield abun- dance. Look for fruit; God looks for it as the only proof of life. Else, when the Lord comes and finds no fruit, the thorns will indeed be burned, but the ground will be exposed as fruitless and worthleBB, and "nigh unto cursing." Vers. 8, 20.-The Word/ruitful in tM heart. Most varied results attend the preaching of the gospel. Look at onr Lord's own ministry. On the one hand, we are told, " He did there no mighty works because of their unbelief;"" yet they believed not upon him;" and we find him exclaiming, " Woe unto you, cities!" etc. On th_e other hand, " th_e multitude heard him gladly ; " of the Samaritans, " many more behaved because of his word," and sometimes, in their eagerness, "they pressed upon him to hear," etc. Nor was this fact peculiar to Christ's ministry ; the apostles confessed that they were to ..ome a savour of life, to others of death ; and the historian records, as a matter of fact, that " some believed, and some believed not." So is it with Chr;stian preachers in every age· there are instances which rejoice and recomper..se them, and others which disappoint and 'depress them. The great Teacher foretells in this part of the p~rable. th,~t there shall ever be cases in which the Lord's Word " shall not return unto him v01d. L THE PREPARED SOIL. The good ground was in contrast with the several varieties of poor and baa soil. It was soft and yielding, as distinguished from the trodden earth of the wayside. It was deep, as distinguished from the shallow sprinkling of earth upon the rock beneath. It was clean, as distinguished Crom the f)ul, weedy, thorny land, OH, IV, 1-41.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 8T, MARK. 165