Labor Among the Churches
105
submit to be sanctified through it. They flatter themselves that they
may get to heaven an easier way.
Still another class is represented in the parable. Men and women
who listen to the word are convinced of the truth and accept it without
seeing the sinfulness of their hearts. The love of the world holds a
large place in their affections. In deal they love to get the best of the
bargain. They prevaricate, and by deception and fraud gain means
which will ever prove as a thorn to them; for it will overbalance their
good purposes and intentions. The good seed sown in their hearts is
choked. Frequently they are so full of care and anxiety, fearing that
they will not gain means, or that they will lose what they have gained,
that they make their temporal matters primary. They do not nourish
the good seed. They do not attend meetings where their hearts can
[113]
be strengthened by religious privileges. They fear that they will meet
with some loss in temporal things. The deceitfulness of riches leads
them to flatter themselves that it is duty to toil and gain all they can,
that they may help the cause of God; and yet the more they increase
their earthly riches the less are their hearts inclined to part with their
treasure, until their hearts are fully turned from the truth they loved.
The good seed is choked because overgrown with unnecessary worldly
cares and needless anxiety—with love for the worldly pleasures and
honors which riches give.
The Wheat and Tares
In another parable which Jesus presented to His disciples, He
likened the kingdom of heaven to a field wherein a man sowed good
seed, but in which, while he was sleeping, the enemy sowed tares. The
question was asked the householder: “Didst not thou sow good seed
in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An
enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that
we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the
tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until
the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather
ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn.” If faithfulness and vigilance had been
preserved, if there had been no sleeping or negligence upon the part
of any, the enemy would not have had so favorable an opportunity to