rather less than half the Moon's diameter will be in the shadow; she will be free from the shadow at 2h. 47m.; and at 3h. 58m. will again enjoy the full light of the Sun. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, will be covered by the Moon, on January 1st, from 9h. 28m. to 10h. 25m., in the evening; and Aldebaran, the "Bull's eye," on the 23d, from 8h. 49m. to 10h. 5m., in the evening. With very moderate telescopic aid, and a good pocketchronometer, both the disappearance and reappearance may in each case be well observed; and the phenomena will be found deeply interesting.

Mercury, which was right between us and the Sun on the morning of November 5th, 1868, will be nearly right beyond the Sun on the morning of January 3d; after which it recedes eastward from the Sun, until it becomes visible to the naked eye, after sunset, toward the end of the month. Of course it will not be so conspicuous as Jupiter, and will not be regarded as the evening-star; but it will be an evening-star, and a very beautiful one.

Venus is still the morning-star, and is now slowly approaching the Sun as regards angular distance, while the actual distance from both Sun and Earth is increasing. It will rise close to Saturn on the morning of the 3d, and will be near the Moon when rising on the 10th.

Mars rises early in the evening. It is now in Leo, approaching Regulus. On the 13th it will be on the meridian at three o'clock in the morning, at an altitude of fifty-two degrees; and on the 26th, at two o'clock, altitude fifty-three degrees. It is nearly in a line between the two brightest stars in Leo, Regulus and Deneb; nearer to the former. The apparent motion among the fixed stars is eastward, until the 5th, when it changes to westward. It will be near the Moon on the 2d, at noon; and on the 29th, at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Jupiter will be due south on the 12th, at five o'clock in the afternoon; and on the 30th, at four o'clock. At half-past five, on the afternoon of the 1st, all the satellites will be on the east side of the planet, in the order of their actual distances. The first satellite will be eclipsed

J. ROCHE, PRINTER, 25,

on the evenings of the 4th, 11th, and 27th; the reappearance may be witnessed, on the 4th, at 6h. 57m. 248.; on the 11th, at 8h. 53m. 168.; and on the 27th, at 7h. 13m. 478. The second satellite will be eclipsed on the evening of the 14th, from 5h. 13m. 1s. to 7h. 33m. 278.; on the 21st it will emerge from the shadow of the planet at 7h. 50m. 5s. The third will be eclipsed on the evening of the 29th; the emergence occurs at 6h. 17m. 2s. The first satellite and its shadow will both be on the disc of the planet on the 3d, from 7h. 26m. to 8h. 21m.; on the 19th, from 5h. 46m. to 6h. 45m., and on the 26th, from 7h. 42m. to 8h. 44m. At a quarter-past eight o'clock on the 5th, and at 5h. 39m. on the 30th, the second satellite and its shadow will be both on the disc.

Saturn may be easily recognised from its proximity to Venus on the morning of the 3d, as its angular motion for the month only amounts to three degrees.

Uranus will be in opposition on the 5th; on the following night it will be on the meridian at mean midnight, at an altitude of sixty-one and a half degrees. It is in Gemini, not far from Castor and Pollux.

Neptune will be on the meridian on the 4th, at six o'clock; and on the 19th, at five o'clock in the afternoon, altitude forty-three degrees.

The cause of the remarkable discrepancy between recent determinations of the Sun's distance, and that on which astronomers had previously relied, appears to have been detected by Mr. Stone of the Greenwich Observatory. He has re-discussed the observations of the transit of Venus made in 1769, and states that the investigation has led him to the "detection of several grave and fundamental errors which have previously been made in the results, and to a value of the solar parallax entitled to be received with confidence." Instead of eight seconds six tenths, the value found by Encke, he obtains eight seconds nine tenths; a result in perfect accordance with those which have been lately obtained by very different methods. This, as we have several times stated, reduces the Sun's distance by about a thirtieth part of the whole.

HOXTON-SQUARE, LONDON,

THE twofold design of this parable seems to be, firstly, to foretell and account for the very limited success which attends upon the preaching of the Gospel; and, secondly, to set forth the laws which determine the barrenness or fruitfulness of those who hear the Word. To this end our Lord describes four sorts of hearers; He states the reception given by each class to the Word they hear; and then He gives the final result in each case.

In this parable there are facts foretold, and principles laid down. VOL. XV.-Second Series.-FEBRUARY, 1869.

It is foretold that wherever the Word of the kingdom is preached, there will be the different sorts of hearers represented by wayside, stony places, thorny ground, and good soil. The proportion may, and will, vary according to the state of the world and the Church, but the thing itself will be. In treating of this fact our Lord's language is indefinite; of set purpose, He leaves a wide margin for contingencies. Some seeds fell by "the wayside," some "upon stony places," some "among thorns," and "other into good ground." No proportion is given, or even hinted at; and not a word is said as to the extent to which this or that method of hearing the Gospel may prevail.

But in the laying down of principles there is a precision that is truly edifying. When the Word is heard in this way or in that, and cherished in this or that manner, then certain results inevitably follow. From wayside-hearers, Satan at once "catcheth away" the seed, and there is an end of the matter. Such as receive the Word into "stony places" do, "in time of temptation, fall away." Those who receive seed "among thorns" bring "no fruit to perfection." They whose hearts are compared to "good ground" bring forth much fruit: some more than others; yet those who produce least do, nevertheless, yield a large return. The law which determines the result of hearing the Word is unvarying; for in the last case the harvest is never wanting, and in the first the blade is never seen.

In this parable there is a precept for preachers. Let us take note of it: for, if the pulpit be at fault, what marvel if the pew go wrong! "The sower soweth the Word;" "the seed is the Word of God." This represents ministerial responsibility. The preacher is bound to see to it that the seed which he sows is good and pure. The grain that farmers sow is of one kind," it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain ;" but if he want a crop of wheat, the husbandman sows wheat; and if barley, he sows barley; and the more pure the seed-corn is from any other kind of grain the better he is pleased. Preachers are to sow wheat; all wheat, nothing but wheat. He who sows tares among the wheat is "an enemy to God and man. Further, the grain that farmers sow is as clean as it can be made. Not only is every particle of chaff winnowed out, but, as far as possible, all light and imperfect grains are taken out also. That only which will grow is sown. "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;" seed, not chaff: seed will grow, but chaff will rot. Preachers are to sow grain, not chaff; they must give the people thoughts, not words merely. If they can winnow out the light grains, and so sow nothing but "the finest of the wheat," all the better; a weighty thought is more likely to take root than a frivolous conjecture, or an airy speculation.

It is assumed, however, throughout this parable, that the seed is good. Of the worst hearer it is broadly stated that he "heareth the Word of the kingdom." It is quite true that the seed does not grow by the wayside, where there is no covering; neither does it flourish long

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.

35

upon the rocky places, where there is no deepness of earth; nor does it come to perfection among thorns; and who expects that it would? In all these cases the fault is not with the seed, but with the soil. Give the seed a fair chance; cast it into good ground; and the field of thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold proves that the seed itself is good. It follows, then, that the parable of the sower concerns all who hear the pure Gospel preached; it applies itself to all those instances of failure where the cause of unfruitfulness is to be found, not in what the people hear, but in how they hear it.

In this picture of the man who receives seed by the wayside, we see how it comes to pass that one may hear the Word of God and yet be none the better for hearing.

"When any one heareth the Word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart." The understanding it not is the parentfault of this man. Of course, a person may understand the "Word of the kingdom," and yet fail even to "bring forth fruits meet for repentance;" but, on the other hand, one who understandeth it not, is by this very fact shut up to absolute unfruitfulness. Indeed, this circumstance is a sure sign of a lack of interest in the Word; and this lack of interest itself betrays a heart in love with sin. The case is this: every one who in any fashion hears the Word, knows already quite enough to make it his duty to inquire further. Thus much he cannot help knowing and feeling. It is for him to say whether he will know more, or abide as he is. If he follow on to know the Lord, making the most of the light he has, and desiring more, then shall he know; an honest interest in the Word will lead, by God's blessing, to an understanding of the Word. But if he had rather not know any more, if he shrink from the effort and sacrifice which clearer light would but more clearly show it to be his duty to confront, if his interest in the Word be choked by indolence or selfishness, then he will not understand "the Word of the kingdom;" and, not understanding it, he cannot be saved.

On such persons rests the shame of ignorance, and also the guilt that comes with knowledge. They cannot even reckon upon the few stripes awarded to the servant who knew not his Lord's will; because we are responsible for what we might know, and those who might have known His will, yet would not, shall surely be dealt with quite as if they had known it. They would rather not understand; that is the sin they do not understand; that is the result. "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

"Then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was

C 2

sown in his heart," which is compared to the "wayside." This is not what would in this country be called the "roadside." It is a strip of ground on one side of the field, or running across; used as a footpath. This is trodden hard; but when the field is sown broadcast, some seed is sure to fall upon the wayside. It is not, however, likely to grow there. It lies all exposed on the hard, dry surface, and it is either trodden down by foot-passengers, or eaten up by the fowls of the air, which are never far off when corn is being sown.

Some hearers have hearts like this wayside, which is not altogether waste ground. It is simply good ground spoiled, and thrown out of cultivation. So it is with such hearts; they are uncultivated. Wayside hearers come to the house of God on Sabbath-morning with hearts trodden hard by the cares of the week, and parched by its sins. Nothing has been done to break up the heart by thought and prayer, or to interest the affections. There has been no preparation made for receiving the Word: the ploughshare of prayerful meditation has not been driven through the soul; sincere regret for a sinful past, and earnest desire after a better future, have not formed deep furrows where the seed might find a home: but as "the sower soweth the Word," it falls upon a hard surface, an unsympathising heart. The good seed lies all exposed, as if it were meant to be stolen, and Satan cometh and taketh it away.

He does this lest they should believe and be saved. The wicked one knoweth that if "the Word of the kingdom" be received and retained, it will be very apt to work in the hearer repentance and faith; but there is nothing which Satan dislikes so much as men being saved; and, to prevent this, he cometh immediately, before the "good seed " has time to take root, and at once he "catcheth away that which was sown in their hearts." By prompt and well-timed effort, Satan gains his point; for it is as likely that a field from which the seed-corn has been picked up and devoured by birds will produce a crop of wheat, as that a heart from which Satan has been allowed to steal the Word will yield the fruits of faith and consecration.

In farm-work, where the corn is sown broadcast, the sower takes a middle place; some one goes before to prepare the soil, and another comes after to cover up the seed. It is the same in spiritual husbandry. There is something to be done before the seed is sown, and there is something to be done after. Wayside hearers fail in both. No preparation is made to receive the Word; no precaution is taken to keep it. Even on good ground, which has been thoroughly broken up and well prepared, the seed-corn must be harrowed in. If it be scattered upon the face of the field, and there left, by far the greater part would be devoured by birds. But on ground that has not been broken up, and that presents a flat surface, the fate of the seed is even more certain, and not a single grain would escape. Those who receive the Word into prepared hearts have need to do as David did,-hide it there. By thought and prayer, and by talking over the sermon with their family or friends, they harrow in the Word, and bury the