The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 202

to " the Jews a stumbing-blook, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which r.re callc.•d, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." So is it with trial, whether tribulation or persecution; while it only confirms the faithful and leaves them more firmly rooted, it becomes an occasion of stumbling and even of final apostasy to the unfaithful who have no root in themselves. The trials, that help the believer onward to an "exceeding and eternal weight of glory," are such a hindrance in the way of the barren professor that he is offended and falls away. "The same tire " says Augustine, " turns straw into ashes, and takes away the dross from gold." 7. 'Final apostasy. "They fall away." How sad this statement I "They fall away," that is finally. Such is the closing scene I Many a. one runs well for a time, but something hinders him, and then he stumbles a.nd finally falls! Many a one, who bade fair to be the Lord's in the great "day when he maketh up his jewels," thus falls away and ginks into apostasy! Many a one, who appeared to be so running that he might obtain the incorruptible crown in company with the pure and holy, falls away from these high hopes ~nd glorious prospe~ts, ~nd perishes for ~ver ! Alas} ho~ drea~f~l t~e thought of havmg a reward so rich m prospect, a diadem so bright m anticipation, an in- heritance so incorruptible to look forward to, and yet of finally and for ever falling away and forfeiting all! Yil. PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1. Warned by all this, we are surely called on solemnly to consider how we hear, and carefully examine our motives as well as our manner of hearit1g. 2. We should ever have in recollection the Scripture admonition in reference to such matters, which says, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." 3. We must not be content with a certain cha;ige of conduct and conversation; this may last for a time, but, unless the heart be changed, there is no permanence in the change. Unless there is the root of faith, there can never be the real fruit of righteousness. 4. We are warned to expect triaL "All who will live godly in Obrist Jesus" must be prepared for it. But, instead of being discouraged thereby or deterred from the path of duty, we must rather rejoice as the apostle directs, saying, "Count it all joy when ye fa.ll into divers temptations [or trials];" and again, "Blessed is the man that endureth '.temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him," 5. We must beware of being turned aside from the path of duty, or from the study of God's Word, or from prayer, or from the worship of the sanctuary, or from religious service of any kind, either by sneers or taunts, or by unkindness or even persecution on the part of the ungodly. By doing so we prove ourselves of those here represented by the rocky ground. 6. What need we have earnestly to seek the aid of the Holy Spirit to preserve us from an evil and hard heart of unbelief, in which the seed of God's Word can neither take root nor grow I VIII. THE THORNY GROUND. 1. Superiority to the two preceding. " Some fell among thorns." Now, we have, in the descriptions of the several kinds of ground, an ascendin); climaL In the first the seed lies on the surface, and never enters the soil at all, and by such are understood the unenlightened or unintelligent hearers. In the next the seed finds its way into the soil, but that soil is so shallow and so sparse--a mere thin coating on a rock-that the progress of the root downward is soon prevent.ad by the hard, opposing, impenetrable rock: by these conditions are represented the superficial hearers or readers of God's Word. We now enter on a third stage upward. The seed, instead of lying on the surface, or remaining rootless in the layer of mould thinly spread upon a rock, has good soil to sustain it, and takes root therein; but the soil, thou"h of itself good enough al'l.d deep enough, suffers from preoccupation; thorns, or ro~ts of thorns, have found a place in it: by this description worldly hearers are meant. 2. The growth of the thorns. We are not to understand full-grown thorns, but thorn roots that had been left in the ground through defective tillage. Proper culture would have completely eradicated them. On the contrary, these thorns grew up alona with the sprouting seed (uuµ.,pve,cra,), and quite choked.it. The thorns over- topped the young plant that sprang from the good seed; in this way they over-• shadowed it, shutting out at the same time both light and air; while a still worse consequence ensued from their roots absorbin11: the nourishment furnished by the soil, and withdrawing it from the tender plant. The inevitable result was, by robbing it ~f the strengthening nutriment afforded by the richness of the soil and moisture, 0B, Iv.1-41.] 'rHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 199