the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Luke xii. 22-31.

Mary. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Luke xvi. 13.

Kate. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Luke xviii. 24, 25.

Anna. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Luke xxi. 34.

Miss M. Who does St. Paul say forsook him, having loved this present world?

Jane. Demas. 2 Tim. iv. 10.

Miss M. Give me some other examples of persons who loved the world more than God.

Mary. Esau, who, for one morsel of meat, sold his birthright. Gen. xxv. 31-34.

Kate. Judas, who sold our blessed Lord for thirty pieces of silver. Matt. xxvi. 14, 15.

Charlotte. Gehazi, who told a lie to get a present from Naaman. 2 Kings v. 20—27.

Miss M. Who is he that received seed into the good ground?

Selina. "He that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit."

Miss M. Yes, you answer in the words of the Bible. Now tell me in your own words.

Elizabeth. All good people, who profit by what they

hear.

Miss M. What does St. James tell us all to be ?

Mary. "But be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass." James i. 22, 23.

Miss M. Now read me some of the passages in the Bible in which there are comparisons to the growth of corn: you will find several:-Hosea x. 12; James v. 7; Galatians vi. 7—9; 1 Corinthians iii. 6—9.

Children read.

Miss M. Our next parable is also on the same subject. Now repeat to me again the four classes of people who hear the word.

Kate. Those who do not understand it, and therefore Satan catches away what was sown in their hearts; those whose holiness only endures till they are troubled and persecuted because of the word; those who forget it amongst the cares and pleasures of life; and, lastly, those who show forth its power by their holy lives.

CHAPTER III.

THE PARABLE OF THE TARES.

Matt. xiii. 24-30. 37-43.

"THE kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, 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. . . . . He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things. that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall

cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Miss Morton. You remember that last Sunday we read over together the parable of the sower; and I tried to explain to you what our Lord intended to teach His hearers by it. You will see that in the one for to-day our Lord makes use of a similitude or comparison not very unlike the one in the parable of the sower: tell me, Kate, how our parable to-day begins.

Kate. "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field."

Miss M. Yes; now you see that in both parables our blessed Lord is likened to a man that sowed good seed; or, as we read in the other parable, to a sower that went forth to sow. Now having shown you that they are so far alike, tell me what our Saviour meant in the parable of the sower by the seed that was sown ?

Anna. The word of God.

Miss M. Right now in the parable that you have just read, the seed means something quite different; read the 38th verse.

Susan reads. "The good seed are the children of the kingdom."

Miss M. You see, therefore, that though our Lord compares Himself in both parables to the sower, yet they are in themselves quite different. The lesson that He wished to teach was far from being the same. We will now begin at the beginning of the parable,

and go through it in the same way that we did that of the sower last Sunday. You have already told me that the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed seed: what seed was it that he sowed? Children. Good seed.

Miss M. Where did he sow it?

Anna. In his field.

Miss M. Did he sow any bad seed besides ?
Several. No.

Miss M. Was there then nothing in his field but good seed?

Kate. While they were all asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares.

Miss M. What are tares?

Charlotte. Weeds.

Miss M. Would a farmer sow tares with his wheat?

Anna. No; the tares must either have come up by accident, or have been sown by some one who wished to annoy the farmer.

Miss M. Very well; did they find out at once that tares had been sown with the wheat?

Elizabeth. No; not till the wheat had sprung up, and then the tares appeared also.

Miss M. When the servants saw what had been done to the field, what did they say to the householder?

Mary. They asked him who could have done this. Miss M. And what did he answer?

Jane. "An enemy hath done this."

Miss M. What did the servants then wish to do? Ellen. To gather up the tares.

Miss M. Did the householder allow them to do this?

C