Parable of the seed growing secretly

Parable of the Lamp. The Tares. The Seed. The Mustard Seed. The Leaven.

(The Gospel History, Section 51)

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should 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. But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Parable of the seed growing secretly

(The Saviour of the World, Vol III Book II Poem XVIII)

The Lord said:—

God’s Kingdom is as if a man
Cast seed upon the earth; none can
Do more than sow the goodly seed,
Then go his way, not taking heed:
He slept by night, and in the day
Worked he, or played, his wonted way.
But while the man forgat to look
The living seed its own way took;
He knows not how, but surely, lo,
He sees the seed spring up and grow:
Nor comprehends how germ concealed
In shrivell’d husk should be revealed
As the green blade, full ear of wheat,
As bread itself for men to eat!
See ye, the earth the secret holds
Of cherishing that she enfolds,—
The good seed fostered at her breast;
Sow ye the seed and leave the rest:
Think ye the Lord had not prepared
That soil in which His seed well-fared?
By storm and sunshine, rain and dew;
By drought and many labourers, due;—
When work of every worm, each nought,
Is to a sum of labour brought,
Lo ye, His earth, prepared to yield,
Is one prodigious fertile field!—
A field thou find’st it, very good,
With appetency fit endued,
All eagerly to take that seed
Thou scatterest with careful speed.
And, see, returned in season due,
A ripened harvest waits for you!
The earth herself hath known to bear,
First the green blade, and then the ear,
Herself hath known the fruit to yield
That, golden, gladdens all thy field.
Put in thy sickle straight and reap
A goodly harvest—thine to keep!

The disciples heard with joyful mind,
Relieved that they might hope to find
In hearts of men a ready soil—
Prepared of God through age-long toil
Of countless servants of His hand—
To take the Word at His command,
Bring forth and bear, to His high praise,
Fruit of good works and holy days:
For not a soul, from pole to pole,
But of this seed hath desperate need:
For never one but knows to hold
And bring forth fruit an hundredfold:
Their only business is to sow
With sedulous care, seed, needs must grow.

St. Mark iv. 26-29.