[16: THE SEED, PAGES 318-319]
John Wilbur
Wilbur, John. A Narrative and Exposition of the Late Proceedings
of New England Yearly Meeting, With Some of its Subordinate Meetings &
Their committees, in Relation to the Doctrinal Controversy Now Existing
in the Society of Friends: Prefaced by a Concise View of the Church, Showing
the Occasion of its Apostacy, both Under the Former and Present Dispensations,
With an Appendix. Edited from Record Kept, From Time to Time, of Those
Proceedings, and Interspersed With Occasional Remarks and Observations.
Addressed to the Members of the Said Yearly Meeting. New York: Piercy
& Reed, Printers, 1854, pages 277-325.
(All italics added by J.W. for emphasis. All words supplied in
[Square Brackets] by J.W.
Page numbers from original publication by -pds in {Set Brackets.}
This Document is on The
Quaker Writings Home Page.
J.J. Gurney (Brief Remarks, p. 10.): "That this parable (of
the mustard seed) was intended to set forth the small beginnings of Christianity
in the world, and its subsequent extension and victory, can scarcely be
doubted by any sober commentator; and we may freely allow that it also
bears an allusion to the growth in grace of the individual believer
in Jesus;--but that the mustard seed is here equivalent to Christ himself
in his inward appearance to the Soul, is surely a notion, without the smallest
foundation either in reason or Scripture. The seed which the sower went
forth to {p. 319} sow, in another parable, as explained by our Lord as
signifying the word of divine truth as it is preached and heard.
It cannot therefore signify Christ, who in his character of a prophet,
or preacher, is represented as the sower; and equally obvious is it, that
it cannot be identical (as some persons appear to imagine) with the light
of the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of all men.
"The influence of the Holy Spirit, through which the believer
is born again, may probably be represented by the term 'seed.' In 1 Peter
i. 2, 3, 'Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever;' and this grace
abiding in the heart of the believer, appears to be spoken
of under the same term in 1 John iii. 9: 'Whomsoever is born of God cloth
not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God.'"
Contrast with
George Fox (Sewell's History, Vol. II. p. 490. Philadelphia edit.):
"All is well, the seed of God reigns over all, and over death itself."
"And though," continued he, "I am weak in body, yet the power of God is
over all, and the Lord reigns over all disorderly spirits." "He used often,
even in his preaching, when he spoke of Christ, to call Him the Seed; therefore,
those that were with him very well knew what he meant when he spoke of
the 'Seed.'
"Again, about four or five hours before his death,being asked how he
did, he answered, 'Do not heed, the power of the Lord is above all sicknessand
death; the Seed reigns, blessed be the Lord!'"