The New Life

and
—
GROWTH.
" So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon
the earth
;
should sleep and rise night and day, and the
seed shouM spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. The
earth beareth fruit of herself ; first the blade, then the ear, then
the full corn in the ear." Mark iv. 26-28.
"The Head, from whom the whole body increaseth with the
increase of God."— Col. ii. 19.
"That we may grow into Him which is the Head, even
Christ, from whom the whole body makfth the increase."—
Kph. iv. 15, 16.
DEATH
is always a standing still : life is always
movement, progressiveness. Increase or growth
is the law of all created life ; consequently, the new
life in man is destined to increase, and always by becoming
stronger. As there are in the seed and in the
earth a life and power of growth by which the plant
is impelled to have its full height and fruit ; so is
there in the seed of the eternal life an impelling
force by which also that life always increases and
grows with a divine growth, until we come to a perfect
man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ. 1
In this parable of the seed that springs up of itself,
and becomes great and bears fruit, the I^ord teaches
1 Eph. iv. 13 ;
a Thess. i. 4.
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