often looking to it indeed, and oftener thinking
of it, but never touching it till harvest. By its own vitality it grows
secretly, gradually until it arrives at maturity. Man interferes only at
the beginning and at the end; in spring he sows, and in autumn he reaps,
but throughout the interval between these extremes he lets it alone.
The point on which the parable concentrates our regard is, that the
growth of the plant, from the time of sowing to the time of reaping,
proceeds according to its own laws, and in virtue of its own inherent
power, neither visible to the owner's eye nor dependent on his hand.

In the interpretation of the parable certain great leading points must
first be determined, and then all the rest will be safe and easy.

There are two such points, one at the beginning and one at the end,
which are in themselves uncertain; and one in the middle which, being
itself determined by circumstances, serves to determine the other two.
The question at the beginning is, Who is the sower? And the question at
the end, What is the reaping? The point in the centre already fixed, on
which the two extremities depend, is the growth of the seed without the
aid, and even beyond the cognisance, of the sower.

Look first to the question which meets an inquirer at the outset, Who is
the sower? Obviously it has two sides and two only; the sower represents
either the Lord himself, or the human ministry that he employs from age
to age. Both representations are in themselves true and scriptural; it
is by means of other features less ambiguous that we shall be able to
determine whether of the two is adopted in this parable. Try first the
supposition that the sower is the Lord himself; of him, in that case, it
is immediately said that he sleeps, and rises night and day, and that
the seed meanwhile springs up, he knows not how. This representation is
palpably incongruous with the attributes and character of the Lord. The
things that are hidden from us, both in the natural and spiritual
growth, are open in his sight. Expressly it is said of Jesus, "he knew
what was in man;" and we learn, from many circumstances in the evangelic
history, that he knew the thoughts alike of plotting enemies and of
fainting friends. The suggestion made by some that this part of the
parable may be understood to represent the Lord's ascension into heaven,
after having sown the word in his own ministry, does not satisfy the
demands of the case. We canno