The sentence "Take it from him," goes before the sentence, "Cast him
out." A sinner is given over to himself, before he is given up to
judgment. The first prepares the way for the second death; the process
is now going on by which the destiny is decided. Now is the accepted
time; now either salvation or condemnation is wrought out.

See the process and the path of death; the steps are few and well
marked. I knew thee hard, and I hid thy talent; take it from him, and
cast him out. The corresponding steps on the other side are, I tasted
thy tender mercy, and lovingly laid thy talent out; give the faithful
servant more, and lead him into the joy of his Lord.

The stumbling-block at the outset that turned the unfaithful servant
aside was his conception of the Lord as a hard master: it is the
experience of the master's love that impels the servant forward in the
path of duty. When we know God in Christ, we know him reconciled to
ourselves. Christ, therefore, is the way; by him we go _in_ to the
Father for acceptance, and by him we go _out_ for needful work upon the
world. Without me ye can get nothing from God; "Without me ye can do
nothing" for God.

XV.

THE SEED GROWING SECRETLY.

"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed
into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the
seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth
bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear,
after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought
forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is
come."--MARK iv. 26-29.

This is the only parable that is peculiar to Mark. The subjects
contained in the fourth chapter of Mark are obviously the same, in the
main, as those which occupy the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. The
parable of the sower occurs in both at the beginning; and at several
other parts they coincide. The parable of the seed growing secretly
holds in Mark the place that the parable of the leaven holds in Matthew.
We might, therefore, expect a close analogy between these two parables:
and accordingly we find in point of fact that they exhibit the same
characteristics of the kingdom, and convey the same lessons to its
subjects.

When a man has cast the seed into prepared ground at the proper season,
he thenceforth leaves it to itself. He sleeps by night, and attends to
other affairs by day,