The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.

THE TEACHING OF THE HARVEST.

ST. MATTHEW xiii. 39.

The Harvest is the end of the World.

Ir will be remembered that these words occur in our LORD's explanation of the parable of the Tares. The parable was this: A certain householder, after sowing good seed in his field, was both surprised and grieved to see the blade spring up mingled with Tares. His servants asked leave to go and weed out the Tares. Not so, said the householder: the Wheat and the Tares are so mingled together,—the roots of the Tares must be so bound up with the roots of the Wheat, that in pulling up one, you will be sure to drag up the other also. 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.'

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This parable was spoken on the Sea of Galilee. When our LORD had retired to the house, the Disciples asked Him to explain to them its meaning. He told them that the householder was Himself: the field was the World: righteous men were the Wheat; and wicked men the Tares the Harvest,' (He said,) 'is the end of the World, and the reapers are the Angels.'

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Here then is one of the many lessons which a harvest-field is meant to teach. One of the many lessons, I say; for no one, surely, is so inattentive an observer of Nature, or so careless a reader of the Bible, as not to know that a field of wheat is full of sacred teaching. It not only reminds us of countless passages in sacred History; but of many a solemn doctrine also. It reminds us, for example, of Joseph's trials, which began with Joseph's dreams: 'Behold,' (he said,) we were binding up sheaves in the field :'—of the bringing back of the Ark from the country of the Philistines, when the men of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley-of the sign which Samuel gave to God's disobedient people, when he asked, 'Is it not wheat-harvest to-day?' and then called down thunder and rain from Heaven :-of the 1 Sam. xii. 17.

a 1 Sam. vi. 13.

piety of Ruth, who went to glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves;'—and of our LORD's walk with His Disciples through the corn-fields on the Sabbath-day.' Nor is it only of such precious histories as these that a harvest-field reminds us. The Apostle alludes to the sure connexion between what we sow and what we reap, when he speaks of our eternal reward or punishment. Our LORD Himself declares that the Word of GOD, received into an honest and good heart, will bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, some an hundred-fold. And, on another more solemn occasion,- Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die,' (He said,) 'it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.' St. Paul, in like manner, discourses under the same image of Death and Resurrection.

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But it is in connexion with the parable of the Tares, that the harvest-field obtains its most solemn teaching for it reminds us not so much of Life and of Death, as of Judgment. The Harvest is declared to be the end of the World; and the reapers, the Angels. As surely then as the Farmer only waits for the corn to be quite ripe, in order that he may send in the reapers; as surely as he does send them into the field when

the corn is ripe: just so surely is God in Heaven only waiting till the harvest of the Earth shall be ripe, in order that He may begin to reap; to separate the good from the wicked; to gather the wheat into His barn, and to burn up the tares with fire. I heard a voice from Heaven,' (the words are those of the beloved Disciple,) saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the Idead which die in the LORD from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them!'... And what follows? I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another Angel came out of the Temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the harvest of the Earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the Earth, and the Earth was reaped.' Thus, in the eye of the SPIRIT, Death and Judgment go together: and of all the things which God hath created, no one thing is found so fit to be an emblem of that Judgment which will be hereafter, as the Harvest-field; and the reapers, armed with their sharp sickles,

Rev. xiv. 13-16.

walking in amid the yellow corn, and gathering the sheaves into their bosom.

It will be readily understood that we have chosen the present subject for this day's meditation, because it exactly suits the season of the year. What then is the special lesson connected with the Harvest, to which our attention is directed in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares? It is this: that we must not be surprised to see the wicked spared in this life, and prospering sometimes for many years we must not think GOD forgetful of what is going on in the World, or indifferent to it, if He allows all things to proceed quietly and smoothly even to the end. It does not prove that He is careless about men's works and ways. It only proves that His manner of acting is not like ours. We are for hurrying things. We know of only one method. If any thing goes wrong, we wish to put it right immediately. But it is not so with. GOD. He does every thing at the right time: and we are taught by this parable that the right time for giving the wicked their due is, the end of the World. To be sure, GOD sometimes punishes sin immediately; but not always. That is the exception, and not the rule. Are we, however, to regard a long life of security, and even