The Sower and the Seed: Two Messages from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon for Today

By L.G. Parkhurst

In The Sower and the Seed, Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon explain the parable of Jesus on the sower and the soils upon which he sowed his seed. Both the student of the Bible and the student of great preaching will gain much from these two masters of the pulpit and Bible interpretation. The two sermons by Finney and Spurgeon included in The Sower and the Seed have been only lightly edited by L.G. Parkhurst in order to put them in the same format for easy reading by today's reader, Bible student, and Bible teacher. The messages of both remain unchanged for your comparison and study of the technique and method of these two acclaimed and effective preachers of God's Word. The first book in the Finney and Spurgeon series is The Rich Man and Lazarus.

Charles Grandison Finney [1792-1875] has been considered America’s Greatest Revivalist. He also served as theological professor and president of Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, which he helped found in 1833. In 1980, L.G. Parkhurst began publishing the works of Charles Finney beginning with Principles of Prayer through Bethany House Publishers. More recently he has published Finney’s works through Agion Press, beginning with Principles of Righteousness and now is the Finney and Spurgeon series.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon [1834-1892] has been considered the Prince of Preachers. He founded Spurgeon’s College in 1856 in London, England, which was named after him following his death. Through Bethany House Publishers in 1988, L.G. Parkhurst published The Believer’s Secret on Intercession, a devotional from the writings of Andrew Murray and C.H. Spurgeon.

The Sower and the Seed Parable from Luke 8:4-18

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5) A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6) And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7) And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8) And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9) And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10) And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12) Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13) They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14) And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15) But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 16) No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. 17) For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 18) Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Agion Press
• Release date: Nov 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310968976

L.G. Parkhurst

L. G. Parkhurst, Jr. is the author of "Prayer Steps to Christmas: Daily Quiet Time Edition" and "Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition," the first book in the Prayer Steps series. He is also the author of "Prayer Steps to Serenity the Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition.He met Francis and Edith Schaeffer in 1979, and is the author of "How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer," "Francis and Edith Schaeffer,"He has compiled numerous devotional and prayer book classics. These books include "How to Pray in the Spirit" from the writings of John Bunyan, Kregel Publications. "Answers to Prayer" and "Principles of Prayer" from the writings of Charles G. Finney, Bethany House Publishers. "The Believer’s Secret of the Abiding Presence" from the writings of Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence, Bethany House Publishers, and "The Believer’s Secret of Intercession" from the writings of Andrew Murray and C.H. Spurgeon, Bethany House Publishers. Since 1989, he has written the weekly “Bible Lesson” for "The Oklahoman," Oklahoma’s largest circulation daily newspaper. His weekly Bible Lessons are also published as the International Bible Lessons in the InternationalBibleLessons.org website. He writes and publishes the International Bible Lessons Commentary through the Internet.He received a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, Master of Arts in Philosophy and Master of Library and Information Studies degrees from the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. Currently, he serves as the publisher of Agion Press. To learn more about Prayer Steps to Serenity and to receive additional free resources visit the PrayerSteps.org website, the SerenityGroups.org website, the SerenityJournal.org website, and the CelebrateSerenity.org website.

Book preview

The Sower and the Seed

Two Messages from

Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

for Today

Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Luke 8:11

Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given,

and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

Luke 8:18

Compiled and Edited by

L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

Additional Books as Author

Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition

Prayer Steps to Christmas: Daily Quiet Time Edition

How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer

Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition

Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition

Additional Books as Compiler and Editor

The Rich Man and Lazarus from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

The Sower and the Seed from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

The Greatest Treasure from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

The Prodigal Son from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

Will the Will of God When You Pray from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

The Believer’s Secret of Intercession from Andrew Murray and C.H. Spurgeon

The Believer’s Secret of Spiritual Power from Andrew Murray and Charles G. Finney

Principles of Righteousness: Finney’s Lessons on Romans Volume 1

Principles of Peace: Finney’s Lessons on Romans Volume 2

Principles of Joy in the Holy Spirit: Finney’s Lessons on Romans Volume 3

The Sower and the Seed

Two Messages from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon for Today

Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon

Copyright 2014 Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Published by Agion Press, P.O. Box 1052, Edmond, OK 73083-1052

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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All Scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Preface

The Sower and the Seed Parable from Luke 8:4-18

The Sower and the Seed Parable by Charles G. Finney

The Sower and the Seed Parable by Charles H. Spurgeon

Preface

The second book in the Finney and Spurgeon Face to Face series is The Sower and the Seed, where the messages of Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon come face to face. Without question among Nineteenth Century preachers and revivalists, Finney was America’s greatest revivalist and Spurgeon was England’s greatest preacher. Both men led thousands to faith in Jesus Christ during their lifetimes, and both men influence Christian preachers, revivalists, and theologians today. These two great Bible expositors can be studied together by reading their sermons on the same Biblical themes face to face.

In the sermon by Charles Finney below, he preached a revival sermon to a congregation that included college students. He directed his sermon especially toward those who are not Christians and to those who profess to be Christians but whose lives demonstrate that they have not given their hearts and minds to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Finney emphasized the way people should hear the Gospel and take heed to what the Bible says. He lamented the way so many people refuse to give attention to the Word of God. Finney preached in this sermon: "You might notice how your spiritual strength is renewed when your heart takes hold of the sermons you hear as the hungry man takes hold of suitable food set before him. By a figure at once fit and beautiful does Paul say, ‘We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish. To the one we are a savor of death unto death, to the other, a savor of life unto life.’ So to some of you, no doubt, the gospel preached is ‘death unto death’ accumulated guilt and damnation; while to others it is ‘life unto life,’ increasing knowledge and