The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 200

no firmness in the stem. See the languishing aspect of that lovely flowerct which has been uprooted from the genial soil of its parent earth ; how soon it droops and dies I CompMe it with the plant, or shrub, or tree fast rooted in the earth. Look at yon old oak tree deep moored in the rirted rock; it is subjected to every blast; it is assailed by every storm, fretted by every gust of heaven, and exposed to every wind th:i.t blows. The wind ha.~ bent it, but never broken it; the storm has shaken it, but could never uproot it; the tempest asAAiled it, but it bas withstood the shock. Centuries have rolled over its aged top and widespread branches, but time has only lert it sturdier th1m cver--deeper rooted than before. "Woodman, spare that tree," for the strength of wind and the stress of weather have proved its deep-rooted stability-firm as the rock in which it is rooted, and immovable as the everlasting hill of which that rock is a part. May the Word ?f the eternal God take root in our hearts, and, when so rooted, may it gradually attam a greater depth of soil; and may the Spirit of the livina God enable us, by medita~i?n, praye~, se~-examination, and closer communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spmt, to mamtam to the end such deep-rooted strength and Christian stability! But the root serves another purpose, for not only does it give fixity and firmness to the plant, it is (2) the means of conveying nourishment to the plant ; it is the channel of communication between the seed and the soil. Plants need nourish- ment as well as animals, and accordingly they are furnished with the apparatus necessary for receiving such nourishment. At the extremity of each fibre of a root there is a spongiole, or small sponge, to suck up nutriment from the soil. The substances reqnired for the nourishment of plants must be in a st.ate of solution-dissolved in many times their own bulk of water; otherwise they could not pass through the exceedingly minute apertures or pores of the spongioles. Now, it is obvious that there are two ways in which we may make a plant to perish-either by withdrawing the moisture from the soil, and the inorganic substances by which the plant is fed cannot be made available; or by destroying the root and those vessels through which the small particles of matter in solution are absorbed by the plant. In the former case the nourishment designed to snstaiu life is altogether withheld, or, if present, cannot be utilized; in the latter case that very nourishment tends to accelerate disorganiza- tion, for when moisture remains stagnant in the sponges they are soon saturated, and disease and putrefaction ensue. Now, in the case which the parable supposes, both the nourishment is wanting, and the means of receiving it are absent-both moisture and root are deficient, or rather entirely lacking. Where then, or how, can the plant draw the supply of nourishment which it requires? Now, the channel of communication, as well as the means of connection, between the spiritual seed and the spiritual soil- the Divine Word and the human heart-is faith. When, therefore, that which is the medium of communication and means of life is absent, how or whence can spiritual life, not to speak of growth or health, be maintained? The seed and the soil have no means of contact; the root of faith that should bring them into vital union is deficient; and so there is no nourishment, no development of vitality-in a word, no spiritual life. 4 . .A temporary semblance of life. "For a while they believe," or for a aeason they endure. We have seen a young twig sprout seemingly verdant and vigorous from the lifeless trunk; and so for a while a plant may appear to have life, while it is virtually dead. For a while it may seem even to flourish, where the root is dying or already dead, and where the source of life and vigour, as well as the means of communicating it, are wanting. Jtll!t so is it in things spiritual: men may for a while have a name to live, while yet they &re dead; the blade of profession may be green, while the root of grace may be withered or wanting ; men may profess much and seem to practise what they profess, while that professi_on is hollow and that P:actice heartless; there. may be a beautiful blosst.m and a fair flower, and yet no fruit ever come to maturity or even come forth at all. Without the power of life in the root there is no vital principle, no genuine practice, and therefore no final perseverance. But to put the case more practically, there may be both conviction and confession of sin, and yet no conversion. Felix trembled when St. Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; " but yet to St. Paul, after his powerful sowing of the heavenly seed, the answer was," Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." There may be a commendable disposition to hear God's Word and so receive the seed; there may be many good resolutions formed, and yet the result may be the same as in ou. 1v. 1-41.) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 197