Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. In the gardens of Hampton Court you will see many trees entirely vanquished and well-nigh strangled by huge coils of ivy, which are wound about them like the snakes around the unhappy Laocoon; there is no untwisting the folds, they are too giant-like, and fast fixed, and every hour the rootlets of the climber are sucking the life out of the unhappy tree. Yet there was a day when the ivy was a tiny aspirant, only asking a little aid in climbing; had it been denied then the tree had never become its victim, but by degrees the humble weakling grew in strength and arrogance, and at last it assumed the mastery, and the tall tree became the prey of the creeping, insinuating destroyer. The moral is too obvious. Sorrowfully do we remember many noble characters which have been ruined little by little by insinuating habits. Covetousness, drink, the love of pleasure, and pride, have often been the ivy that has wrought the ruin. (The Sword and Trowel.) Parallel Verses KJV: And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.WEB: Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. |
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