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Bringeth forth - of herself - Αυτοματη . By its own energy, without either the influence or industry of man. Similar to this is the expression of the poet: -

Namque aliae, Nullis Homlnum Cogentibus, ipsae

Sponte Sua veniunt.

Virg. Geor. l. ii. v. 10

"Some (trees) grow of their own accord, without the labor of man."

All the endlessly varied herbage of the field is produced in this way.

The full corn - Πληρη σιτον, Full wheat; the perfect, full-grown, or ripe corn. Lucian uses κενος καρπος, Empty fruit, for imperfect, or unripe fruit. See Kypke.

The kingdom of God, which is generated in the soul by the word of life, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is first very small; there is only a blade, but this is full of promise, for a good blade shows there is a good seed at bottom, and that the soil in which it is sown is good also. Then the ear - the strong stalk grows up, and the ear is formed at the top; the faith and love of the believing soul increase abundantly; it is justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ; it has the ear which is shortly to be filled with the ripe grain, the outlines of the whole image of God. Then the full corn. The soul is purified from all unrighteousness; and, having escaped the corruption that is in the world, it is made a partaker of the Divine nature, and is filled with all the fullness of God.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself - That is, it is done without the power of man. It is done while man is engaged in other things. The scope of this passage does not require us to suppose that our Saviour meant to say that the earth had any productive power of itself, but only that it produced its fruits not by the “power of man.” God gives it its power. It has no power of its own. So religion in the heart is not by the power of man. It grows he cannot tell how, and of course he cannot without divine aid, control it. It is by the power of God. At the same time, as without industry man would have no harvest, so without active effort he would have no religion. Both are connected with his effort; both are to be measured commonly by his effort Philemon 2:12; both grow he cannot tell how; both increase when the proper means are used, and both depend on God for increase.

First the blade - The green, tender shoot, that first starts out of the earth before the stalk is formed.

Then the ear - The original means the stalk or spire of wheat or barley, as well as the ear.

The full corn - The ripe wheat. The grain swollen to its proper size. By this is denoted, undoubtedly, that grace or religion in the heart is of gradual growth. It is at first tender, feeble, perhaps almost imperceptible, like the first shootings of the grain in the earth. Perhaps also, like grain, it often lies long in the earth before there are signs of life. Like the tender grain, also, it needs care, kindness, and culture. A frost, a cold storm, or a burning sun alike injure it. So tender piety in the heart needs care, kindness, culture. It needs shelter from the frosts and storms of a cold, unfeeling world. It needs the genial dews and mild suns of heaven; in other words, it needs instruction, prayer, and friendly counsel from parents, teachers, ministers, and experienced Christians, that it may grow, and bring forth the full fruits of holiness. Like the grain, also, in due time it will grow strong; it will produce its appropriate fruit - a full and rich harvest - to the praise of God.

In all your work you should do as the husbandman does in producing the fruits of the earth. Apparently he throws away the seed; but, buried in the soil, the seed, in dying, germinates. The power of the living God gives it life and vitality, and there is seen, “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” Study this wonderful process. Oh, there is so much to learn, so much to understand, that it seems as though we cannot learn everything during this life—and we cannot. But if we now improve our minds to the utmost of our ability, we shall through the eternal ages carry forward the study of God's ways and works, continually reaching higher and still higher. LHU 185.5

Some parents have suffered their children to form wrong habits, the marks of which may be seen all through life. Upon the parents lies this sin. These children may profess to be Christians; yet without a special work of grace upon the heart and a thorough reform in life, their past habits will be seen in all their experience, and they will exhibit just the character which their parents allowed them to form.⁴ AH 201.1

The young should not be suffered to learn good and evil indiscriminately, with the idea that at some future time the good will predominate and the evil lose its influence. The evil will increase faster than the good. It is possible that after many years the evil they have learned may be eradicated; but who will venture this? Time is short. It is easier and much safer to sow clean, good seed in the hearts of your children than to pluck up the weeds afterward. Impressions made upon the minds of the young are hard to efface. How important, then, that these impressions be of the right sort, that the elastic faculties of youth be bent in the right direction.⁵ AH 201.2

Seed Sowing, Weeding—In the earliest years of the child's life the soil of the heart should be carefully prepared for the showers of God's grace. Then the seeds of truth are to be carefully sown and diligently tended. And God, who rewards every effort made in His name, will put life into the seed sown; and there will appear first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. AH 201.3

This chapter is based on Mark 4:26-29.

The parable of the sower excited much questioning. Some of the hearers gathered from it that Christ was not to establish an earthly kingdom, and many were curious and perplexed. Seeing their perplexity, Christ used other illustrations, still seeking to turn their thoughts from the hope of a worldly kingdom to the work of God's grace in the soul. COL 62.1

Christ taught His disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” And pointing to the flowers He gave them the assurance, “If God so clothe the grass of the field, ... shall He not much more clothe you?” Matthew 6:11, 30. Christ is constantly working to answer this prayer, and to make good this assurance. There is an invisible power constantly at work as man's servant to feed and to clothe him. Many agencies our Lord employs to make the seed, apparently thrown away, a living plant. And He supplies in due proportion all that is required to perfect the harvest. In the beautiful words of the psalmist: COL 81.1

“Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it;
Thou greatly enrichest it;
The river of God is full of water;
Thou providest them corn when
Thou hast so prepared the earth.
Thou waterest her furrows abundantly;
Thou settlest the ridges thereof;
Thou makest it soft with showers;
Thou blessest the springing thereof.
Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness;
And Thy paths drop fatness.” COL 81.2

Psalm 65:9-11, R.V. COL 81