A young man of this stamp came to Christ— running,
kneeling, full of warm expressions, engaging gestures, and
professed admiration, worshipping and saying, "Good
Master ! " Lovable and interesting as such always are-
Jesus loved him. But his religion lay all upon the surt'ace,
withered away when the depth of its meaning was explored.
The test of self-sacri&ce was apphed to his apparent love.
By Google



292 Parable of the Sower

He was ready for anything. Well, " Go, sell that thou hast,"
" and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."
It had sprung up quickly : but it withered because it had
no root

And that is another stroke of truth in the delineation of
this character. Not wealth nor comfort is the bane of its
religion: but "When tribulation or persecution arisedi
because of the word, by and by they are offended." A
pleasant, sunny religion would be the life to suit them.
" They receive the Word with joy." So long as they have
happiness they can love God — feel very gratefiil, and
expand with generous emotions. But when God speaks to
Job out of the whirlwind, and the sun is swept from the
face of their heaven, and the sharp cross is the only object
left in the dreary landscape, and the world blames, and friends
wound the wounded with cold speech and hollow common-
places : what is there in superficial religion to keep the heart
m its place, and vigorous still?

Another point. Not without s^nificance is it represented
that the superficial character is connected with the hard
heart. Beneath the light thin surface of easily stirred dust
lies the bed of rock. The shallow ground was stony ground.
