The Word of God is the seed of the kingdom. Read carefully the parable of the sower. Matt. 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Lk. 8:4-15.

      God is the author of all laws in nature and grace, and all operate on the same principle. Jesus makes Christians like a farmer makes a harvest, by sowing the seed. In nature we have the following facts: 1. All fruit is the product of seed. 2. Seed must be planted. 3. Every seed produces its own kind. 4. Seed unmixed will produce the same fruit the world over; the same here as in Asia, the same now as in the days of the apostles: may [p. 43] differ in amount, but not in kind.

      The following are the corresponding facts in the spiritual kingdom: 1. All Christians are the product of seed. No seed, no Christians. 2. "The seed is the word of God." Nothing else will make Christians. It will make nothing else. 3. But the word must be plantedin [sic] the soil, in the heart. It is good for a farmer to pray for an abundant harvest, but he need not expect it unless he sows the seed. We should pray for a great harvest of souls, but we need not expect it unless we sow the seed, preach the word. 4. This seed, the word, sown unmixed with man's doctrines, will produce the same fruit the world over: the same here as in Asia; the same now as when the apostles preached. There is no excuse for different kinds of Christians. These differences show that mixed seed has been sown. 5. Divine fruit is the product of divine seed. Human doctrines will never bear divine fruit. Hence, preach the word only, and the fruit will always be the same.

      Peter declares that this seed lives and abides forever (I Pet. 1:22-23.) Some declare the word is a dead seed; it will not benefit saint or sinner. No amount of preparation of soil will cause dead seed to produce a harvest. No amount of preparation of soil will produce vegetable life--the seed must be planted, or no harvest. No matter how much the sinner's heart may be prepared, divine life will never be there until the divine seed, the word, is planted in it.

      What fruit does the word produce? 1. Faith. Rom. 10:17. 2. Repentance. God's goodness leads to repentance. But we learn of His goodness in the word. Rom. 2:4. 3. Baptism. The word commands it and to refuse, is to reject God's counsel. Luke 7:29-30. 4. New birth. I Pet. 1:22. 5. Salvation. Jas. 1:21. 6. Makes Christians, only; only Christians. Other seed is necessary to produce other fruit. 7. Leads into the Church of God. The word will not lead you into an institution or church which it does not mention. It will not lead you to be anything that it did not lead the apostles to be. It will produce no fruit now that it did not then. Hence, the various denominations are not the fruit of the word, for there was only one church then. True there were many local congregations or churches, but they were of the same faith. There is no ecclesiastical organization of these churches. Each was independent of the other. God planted his Church in the world. Every other plant will be rooted up. See Matt. 15:13.