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Here consider, as in the former —

1. The soil, good ground: where first, how it comes to be good: secondly, how it is known to be good, namely, by hearing with honest and good hearts.

2. The success of the seed in it — fruitfulness.

1. For the measure, or plenty — an hundredfold.

2. For the continuance, or constancy — with patience.Of these in their order. And first, how the ground doth come to be good. Answer: It is called good, non a priori, because the Word finds it so; but a posteriori, because by the Word it is made so. Every man's heart by nature is a stiff ground, a barren and cursed earth (Ephesians 2.).

2. But as stiff and bad ground becomes good by good husbandry and manuring, so do our hearts by the husbandry of the Good Husbandman. He alone changeth the heart.

I. It is called a good heart in two respects.

1. As emptied of bad qualities.

2. As well qualified by grace.

(1) It is emptied of bad qualities, being clean contrary to all the bad disposition of the three former kinds of ground. So as being contrary to all the other, it receives willingly, retains constantly, and perseveres fruitfully unto the end.

(2) It is well qualified by grace, as in our text.

(a)  God hath made it of a cursed and barren earth, good ground.

(b)  It hears the Word beyond the other. The former heard it, but without desire, this hears with study to learn, and industry to understand.

(c)  It keepeth the Word in memory, mind, and practice; the other heard, but kept nothing, because there was no fit place to keep it in.

(d)  It brings fruit. In the other was some care to hear, but here is a care of fruitfulness.

(e)  It is careful to proceed in grace, to double and increase the measure of fruits, from thirty to sixty, and so to a hundredfold: but the other soon fall from their measure.

(f)  It hath obtained by grace an invincible fortitude against temptations and trials, so as no fears or forces shall remove them from the study of piety and fruits of grace; for they bring forth fruits with patience, as the other did not.

II. So it is called an honest heart. As good is a general word, excluding evil qualities, and including good; so honest also is a general word, and put for the whole approved disposition of the soul, containing both civil and religious honesty. Here for our further direction in so weighty a business we will consider three things.

1. Means, whereby to attain a good and honest heart.

2. Marks, to know when it is so.

3. Motives to the attaining of such a heart.The means are generally two.

1. Let us see our defect in nature, that our hearts are not good by nature, but stiff and stubborn as the stiffest ground.

2. Let us therefore seek a supply by grace.This grace is twofold —

1. Of action.

2. Of acceptation.The grace of action is threefold —

1. Preparation.

2. Of new creation.

3. Of irrigation.But because all this grace of action is imperfect in this life, therefore that our hearts may become truly good and honest, there needs also the grace of acceptation. The best ground is good but in part, and no man can say his heart is clean, but much evil and guile will cleave unto it. Yet, where God hath begun a good work, and beholds a constant purpose of good, resolving against all sin, and to please Him in all things, He is pleased to behold only the work of His own finger, and to see us only in our Head, in whom He beholds us all fair and good, imputing His goodness to us, and covering our remainders of evil in Him. He esteems us according to that we are coming to, not by that we have attained. These are the means whereby our hearts become good. Now of the marks whereby they may be known so to be. These marks, because they are many, we will in general reduce them to seven heads, and consider this good heart.

1. In respect of God.

2. Christ.

3. The Spirit of God.

4. The ordinances of God.

5. Itself.

6. Good duties.

7. Sin and evil.In respect of God, it hath five excellent properties. First, It desires nearer union with God daily, and all things shall set it nearer unto God. For it knows that everything is so much the more good as it approacheth unto the chief good. Secondly, If it seek God it will "seek Him with the whole heart" (Psalm 119:10), which is a sound conformity of the inward and outward man, directed in the service of God according to the truth of the word. Thirdly, A good heart will only and wholly stand to God's approbation in that it doth or doth not. Fourthly, A good heart resteth and rejoiceth in God as in the best and only portion (Psalm 73:25). Fifthly, A good heart aims at the glory of God in all things. "In all his parts" (1 Corinthians 6:20) — in his body, because it is His, and in his spirit, because He is a Spirit. In respect of Christ it hath five other excellent qualities. First, It preferreth Christ before a thousand worlds (Philippians 3:8). Secondly, A good heart rejoiceth more in Christ and His love than in worldly joys. Thirdly, A good heart, seeing that Christ hath given Himself wholly unto us, gives itself wholly to Him. Fourthly, A good heart prepares a room in it for Christ to dwell in (Ephesians 3:17). Fifthly, A good heart conforms itself to Christ, and will walk as He gave example. For it knows the Scripture hath set Him out, not as a Redeemer only, but as a pattern of good life and imitation. It looks unto the Spirit of God; in four kinds of notes.

1. In respect of spiritual assurance.

2. Spiritual worship.

3. Spiritual graces.

4. Spiritual growth.A good and honest heart looks to the ordinances of God, and so hath many excellent qualities. In two general respects —

1. In respect of Christian religion itself.

2. In respect of the means by which it is upheld, and these are three —

1. The Word and sacrament.

2. The Sabbaths and assemblies.

3. The pastors and ministers.A good and honest heart hath many marks in respect of itself — as the Scriptures ascribe many properties unto it without which it cannot be good.

1. Newness.

2. Softness.

3. Cleanness.

4. Singleness.

5. Fruitfulness.

6. Watchfulness.Marks of a good heart in respect of good duties. It considereth, first, that it is God's new workmanship created to good works (Ephesians 2:10). Marks of. a good heart in respect of sin. It knoweth, first, that nothing is properly hated of God but sin, as being directly against His law and His image, who is a God hating iniquity; and as God Himself is the chief and absolute good, so only sin is the chief and absolute evil. Hence —

1. It sees the misery of sin, and groans under the burden.

2. It truly repents for sin.

3. It seeks pardon.

4. It feareth and watcheth all sin to come, as it hateth and shameth for all sin past.As nature shuns and fears all serpents, even little ones as well as great, so grace shuns all sins, and hates them, being the spawn of the Serpent. First, it knows all are hateful to God, all prejudicial to the soul, as one hole in a ship, or one swine in a garden, or one fly in the apothecary's box is enough to spoil all; therefore it watcheth all. Secondly, Seeing small sins are commonly harbingers to greater, it dares not venture on the smallest. Thirdly, It knows that the way to avoid final defection, or backsliding, is to fear staying a little. Fourthly, It fears the show, the taste, the occasions, the first appearances of sin, lest from the broth, it easily fall to the flesh. Fifthly, It fears and hates his own sins more than all other men's, and not as it is said of Anthony, "He hated the tyrant, not tyranny." "I hate that I do" (Romans 7:15). Sixthly, It hates and fears his own inward sins as much as the outward; wisely damming the fountain and well-head, and stocking up the root. Seventhly, It hates and fears the repetition of sin, and much more shakes off the habit of it, lest he should suddenly grow to expertness in the trade. Lastly, It hates and mourns for other men's sins, and stops them when he can (Psalm 119:136). "And now tell you weeping" (Philippians 3:18). Yea, the sins of others against God more smite a good heart with sorrow than their own sins can an evil.

5. It retains and still renews a full purpose of not sinning, so as though it sin, the conscience can testify that it is carried against the settled purpose of it.

(Thomas Taylor, D. D.)

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KJV: 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.

WEB: Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"