Life90.田里的种子表示“真理”，主以下面这些话来描述这种子：
有一个撒种的出去撒种。撒的时候，有的落在路上，被人践踏，天上的飞鸟把它吃尽了。有的落在石头地上，一长起来就枯萎了，因为没有根。有的落在荆棘中，荆棘跟它一同生长，把它挤住了。有的落在好土里，生长起来，结实百倍。（路加福音8:5-8；马太福音13:3-8；马可福音4:3-8）
在这个比喻中，“撒种的”是指主，“种子”是指祂的话，因而是指真理；“路上的种子”存在于那些不关心真理的人当中；“石头地上的种子”存在于那些虽关心真理，但不是为了真理本身的缘故，因而不是从内在关心的人当中；“落在荆棘中的种子”存在于那些陷入恶欲的人当中；但“好土里的种子”存在于那些热爱来自主而在圣言中的真理，并因实行来自主的这些真理而结实的人当中。所表示的是这些事物，这一点从主对这个比喻的解释（马太福音13:19-23，37；马可福音4:14-20；路加福音8:11-15）明显看出来。由此可见，圣言的真理无法在那些不关心真理的人里面扎根，也无法在那些表面热爱真理，内心却不热爱真理的人和那些陷入恶欲的人里面扎根。然而，它能在那些恶欲被主驱散的人里面扎根。在这些人里面，“种子”，也就是真理，就扎根在他们的属灵心智中（对此，参看86e节）。
90. "Truth" is meant by the seed in the field, which the Lord described as follows:
A sower went out to sow seed. As he was sowing, some seed fell on a much-trodden path, and the birds of heaven devoured it. Some seed fell on stony places, but as soon as it grew up it withered, because it had no root. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good ground, and when it grew up it bore abundant fruit. (Luke 8:5-8; Matthew 13:3-8; Mark 4:3-8)
In this parable the sower is the Lord and the seed is his Word and therefore the truth. The seed on the path refers to the way the Word is viewed by people who do not care about truth. The seed in stony places refers to the way the Word is viewed by people who do care about truth, but not for its own sake, and therefore not deeply. The seed among thorns refers to the way the Word is viewed by people who are caught up in cravings for evil behavior, while the seed in good ground is the way the Word is viewed by people who love the truths that come from the Lord and are found in the Word, the people who bear fruit because their doing of those truths comes from him. We are assured of these meanings by the Lord's explanation (Matthew 13:19-23, 37; Mark 4:14-20; Luke 8:11-15).
We can see from this that the truth of the Word cannot take root in people who do not care about truth or in people who love truth superficially but not deeply or in people who are caught up in cravings for evil behavior. However, it can take root in people whose cravings for evil behavior have been dispelled by the Lord. In these the seed can take root - that is, the truth can take root in their spiritual minds (see the close of 86 above).
90. The truth is what is meant by the seed sown in the field, of which the Lord said the following:
A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell on the road and was trampled on, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some, however, fell on stony ground, but as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it had no root. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. And some fell on good ground, and when it sprang up, it yielded much fruit. (Luke 8:5-8, Matthew 13:3-8, Mark 4:3-8) The sower there is the Lord, and the seed is His Word, thus truth. The seed on the road is the truth among people who do not care about the truth. The seed on stony ground is the truth among people who care about truth, but not for its own sake, thus not inwardly. The seed among thorns is the truth among people caught up in lusts for evil. But the seed on good ground is the truth among people who are moved by the Lord to love the truths in the Word and put them into practice, thus to bear fruit. That these classes of people are meant is clear from the Lord’s explanation of the parable in Matthew 13:19-23, 37, Mark 4:14-20, Luke 8:11-15.
It is apparent from this that the Word’s truth cannot take root in people who do not care about the truth, or in people who love truth outwardly but not inwardly, or in people caught up in lusts for evil. But it does take root in people whose lusts for evil have been dispersed by the Lord. In their case the seed, or rather truth, takes root in their spiritual mind, the mind described toward the end of no. 86 above.
90. It is truth that is meant by the seed in the field, concerning which the Lord speaks in these words:
A sower went out to sow ... and as he sowed, some fell by the way-side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
And some fell upon stony places; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no root.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred-fold. Luke 8:5-8; Matthew 13:3-8; Mark 4:3-8.
The sower here is the Lord, and the seed is His Word, thus truth; the seed by the way-side is with those who do [not] care about truth; and the seed upon stony places is with those who care for truth, but not for its own sake, and thus not interiorly. The seed among thorns is with those who are in the lusts of evil; but the seed in the good ground is with those who from the Lord love the truths which are in the Word, and who from Him practise them, and thus bring forth fruit. That this is the meaning of these things is evident from the Lord's explanation of them, Matthew 13:19-23; Mark 4:14-20; and Luke 8:11-15.
From these considerations it is clear that the truth of the Word cannot take root with those who do not care about truth; nor with those who love truth outwardly but not inwardly; nor with those who are in the lusts of evil; but with those in whom the lusts of evil have been dispersed by the Lord. With these the seed, that is, truth, becomes rooted in their spiritual mind; concerning this see above, No. 86 at the end.
90. It is the truth that is meant by the "seed in the field," of which the Lord said:
A sower went forth to sow, and as he sowed some fell upon the way, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of heaven devoured it; and some fell upon stony places, and as soon as it was sprung up, because it had no root it withered away; and some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up with it and choked it; and other fell into the good ground, and sprung up, and bare fruit manifold (Luke 8:5-8; Matthew 13:3-8; Mark 4:3-8).
Here the "sower" is the Lord, and the "seed" is His Word, thus the truth; the "seed upon the way" exists with those who do not care for the truth; the "seed upon stony places" exists with those who do care for the truth, but not for its own sake, thus not interiorly; the "seed in the midst of thorns" exists with those who are in the concupiscences of evil; but the "seed in good ground" exists with those who love the truths that are in the Word from the Lord, and do them from Him, thus who bear fruit.
That these things are meant is evident from the explication of the parable by the Lord (Matthew 13:19-23, 37; Mark 4:14-20; Luke 8:11-15). From all this it is evident that the truth of the Word cannot take root in those who do not care for the truth, nor in those who love the truth outwardly and not inwardly, nor in those who are in the concupiscences of evil, but in those in whom the concupiscences of evil have been dispersed by the Lord. In these the "seed" - that is, the truth-takes root in their spiritual mind (concerning which above, n. 86).
90. Veritas est quae intelligitur per "semen in agro," de quo ita Dominus:
"Exivit seminans ad seminandum...; et cum seminabat, aliud cecidit super viam, quod conculcatum est, et volatilia caeli comederunt. Aliud autem cecidit super petrosa; sed cum cresceret, exarefactum est, quia non habebat radicem: 1... Aliud cecidit in medium spinarum, et simul enatae spinae suffocarunt illud. Et aliud cecidit in terram bonam, et cum enatum fecit fructum multiplicem" (Lucas 8:5-8; Matthaeus 13:3-8; Marcus 4:3-8).
"Seminans" ibi est Dominus, et "semen" est Verbum Ipsius, ita veritas; "semen super via" est apud illos qui veritatem (non) curant; "semen super petrosis" est apud illos qui veritatem curant sed non propter illam, ita non interius; "semen in medio spinarum" est apud illos qui in concupiscentiis mali sunt; "semen autem in terra bona" est apud illos qui veritates quae in Verbo sunt ex Domino amant, et ab Ipso illas faciunt, ita fructus. Quod haec intelligantur, constat ab explicatione illorum a Domino (Matthaeus 13:19-23, 37; Marcus 4:14-20; Lucas 8:11-15). Ex his patet quod veritas Verbi non radicari possit apud illos qui veritatem non curant; nec apud illos qui veritatem exterius et non interius amant, nec apud illos qui in concupiscentiis mali sunt; sed apud illos, apud quos concupiscentiae mali a Domino discussae sunt. Apud hos radicatur semen, hoc est, veritas, in mente eorum spirituali (de qua supra, 86 ad fin.)
Footnotes:
1. "radicem":- sic Matthaeus 13:6 Videatur Index Biblicus, s. v. Aridum, ubi legimus "humorem"