The Kingdom of God Illustrated by the Growing Corn.

THE Kingdom of God finds its similitude again and again in nature. This is made especially apparent in our Lord's teaching. He generally drew forth His parables thence. He taught the multitudes (or "them that are without," Mark iv. 11) in parables. He thus and thus only, spoke to them of the things within God's kingdom. They were unprepared to receive those things which can be only spiritually discerned. As the apostle, therefore, on one occasion appealed to natural instinct, so the Saviour appealed to the handiworks of God, virtually saying to the people, "Doth not Nature itself teach you?" It is indeed the same God who displays His wonders in nature as in grace. His outward works bear their testimony and speak aloud to him who has an ear to hear; and yet that testimony is unheeded and unperceived, except when, in the spirit of humility and meekness, it is listened to; and thus, the Lord was at once concealing and opening out the truth when He spoke in parables. To God's kingdom, of course, His teaching referred. It can be seen and entered only by him who receives it as a little child; to him only are its mysteries and joys disclosed. Let those without, therefore, learn where they are, their need of entering in, and that by faith in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead; then shall their eyes be opened to see, and their ears to hear. Be it ours, beloved reader, humbly to seek in very deed the opened ear, that we may hear and apprehend a little of what the Saviour could open to us in the parable before us. May we thence derive solid comfort, and may instruction be ministered to our souls.
The kingdom of God has its progressive stages of development. On what do these depend? Nature furnishes a reply. For "so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up; he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself." Here man is impotent. The seed is cast into the ground, and for a time, his care may be to protect it from the fowls of the air or from being rooted up and wasted by ravenous beasts; but its growth depends not on any power of his. The vital principle is in the seed itself; the power of God alone causes it to spring up and grow. Man sleeps and rises; night and day, darkness and light, succeed each other; meanwhile the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself. For in the beginning, God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so." And it is so yet, and it shall continue to be so to the end. And so also is the kingdom of God. Its progress and development are ensured by the mighty power of God and result entirely from his faithfulness and goodness and mercy. It has its own vital energy also within itself, and, as a seed, springs and grows up, man knows not how. Between the beginning and the end, as between the seedtime and harvest, scenes of darkness and light intervene, and man spiritually now sleeps and now wakes. But the result is from God, and the triumphs and the glories of His kingdom are sure. This is the confidence and the sure hope of him who in spirit prays, "Thy kingdom come." His faith finds its anchor and support here.
But we may ask, What and where is God's kingdom, which finds its similitude in the growing corn? As to what it is, the reply is obvious. It is the sphere within which God exercises authority and rule, and where all things work and move and act in harmony with His will. If too, after the manner of a seed, it springs and grows up, the scene of its growth and development must obviously be in the heart (Mark iv. 15). And so says the Saviour, "The kingdom of God is within you." There it takes its rise; there it manifests its growing, widening power till at length, all resistance, all strife—all, in short, that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ, shall be subdued, and righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost shall prevail. This is the all-important view of the subject which immediately and directly concerns those who, as disciples, seek to follow Him who is "the way, the truth, and the life." True, prophecy announces the extension and outward manifestation of God's kingdom on the earth. The anticipation is exhilarating and joyous. Wars and strife’s shall cease. Contention, discord, selfish emulation—themselves the fruit of pride, ambition, and the lust of wealth and power— shall give place to peace and concord and love. The divine dispensations which have been running their course—each showing forth, after its own distinctive mode, the wonders and the riches of God's grace—have been and are preparing the way for this further display of Divine love. Changes—sorrowful or joyous, as it may be—crises even fearful and portentous—may yet await mankind; but as the seed-corn ripens into the matured harvest, so shall the past ways and works of God result in the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of God and of His Christ. But then, as now and ever, the kingdom of God must be within. The present dispensation opens out to those enlightened and instructed in the ways of God, mysteries hidden from ages and from generations, in the high and distinctive position to which the Church of God is called. But such a peculiar display of God's love and grace can only be where His kingdom is triumphant; and that kingdom is not an external power acting from without but is within us. It is Christ within. His incarnation, sufferings, death and resurrection, took place, that God's kingdom should be thus unfolded, established, and perfected in our souls. We want this kingdom to be within us. We cannot be happy, we cannot have peace or rest or joy otherwise. And, in a word, the religion of Jesus Christ is not a theory nor a national creed, but the kingdom of God within us; and yet can it be, that in hearts like ours—the gross, the impure, the vain—the selfish, in thought and feeling and aim, is thus overcome, and all is softened and blended in love at once heavenly and pure, that works only in unison with the will of God? And is it here on earth, too, that that kingdom begins, and as a seed, springs and grows up? Yes; for thus God's love breaks in upon the darkness in which sin has enshrouded us, that through faith in the Lord Jesus, we may be spiritually raised up with Christ into newness of life, and that we may see light in God's light. Oh, it is a soul-engrossing thought that, in hearts like ours, God is bringing that which was without form and void into substance and form, and that there, where passions, evil and gross, have been so long triumphant, He is working out the good pleasure of His will, that righteousness and peace and holy joy may be for ever ours! Oh, who can withhold the prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in me, as it is done in heaven"?
But as to the coming of this kingdom, Nature herself teaches us; so our Lord says, "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." And so is the kingdom of God. Its developments are progressive; it is gradually and, it may be, imperceptibly unfolded, yet is it never stationary in its process of development. It is as a seed whose vital power and energy are in itself. The earth brings forth of herself, independent of man's aid. As she waits to receive the requisite moisture and heat from the atmosphere and the heavens above, so the soul must continually wait on God in faith and prayer, and the divine principle then and thus of itself springs and grows up. There must, of course, be the waiting and the prayer, and then there will be the growth and progress of the true life within. It is of God in such a case, and therefore sure. But there are stages in the development, and the progress may be more or less slow, though sure.
The blade comes first in the seed-corn; and so is also the kingdom of God. It is but the blade at first—a feeble germ, yet in its feeblest state, it gives evidence of life, and promise of matured fruit. The day of smell things in God's kingdom is not to be despised. The same sun shines upon the tender blade as upon the opening ear of corn, and the life is in itself. When the blades of corn appear, the ground is fully occupied, and yet the earth is seen. The blade, too, differs in appearance but little from the grass; only those experienced in such things could say confidently that it is corn. And grass is emblematical of flesh, for, says the prophet, "all flesh is grass." And in the young Christian, the kingdom of God is but partially developed; there is much that as yet seems of the earth, earthy, even that which is of God is seen as yet under a carnal form. But there is the germ of life; nights and days must intervene whilst men patiently await the time of harvest, but the little blade gives promise of fruit.
In due time comes the ear; you can now distinctly name it; you can say it is bread-corn. And there is a stage, too; when, as to the divine life within, you can say, "This is all of grace and not nature." In the ear, there is the distinct form of the bread-com, though as yet there is no real fruit, and still nights and days, darkness and light, succeed each other, and still man is powerless to bring forth fruit unto perfection. It still grows and ripens, he knows not how. He waits for the time of harvest; for the seed has yet the life and energy in itself; the power of God alone can bring it to perfection. And so also is the kingdom of God. Man must still wait and wait in faith and prayer; and as he sleeps and rises, night and day, the ear fills and the corn ripens; the harvest hastens on.
At length comes the full corn in the ear, and the harvest has arrived. The greenness and grassiness are gone; the stem that bore the fruit dies, for the corn is ripe. It is even so in the kingdom of God. The flesh, which is grass, withereth; the flower fadeth; but that which is of the Word of our God remaineth. In this, the third stage, Christ is known in the power of His resurrection; fruit is gathered unto eternal life. It is the time of the spiritual harvest; the kingdom of God is come. But eye has not seen, nor ear heard; it has not entered the heart of man, what things God has prepared for them that love Him.
Enough is it to know that grace and love are triumphant. Our God must work all our works in us, and perfect that which concerns us. For so is the kingdom of God.
WM. HUGILL. 
“The King’s Highway” 1862