branches thereof, (Mark, may lodge under the shadow of it.) In this parable our Lord shewed his heavers, that notwithstanding the gospel appeared at first contemptible, by reason of the ignominy arising from the crucifixion of its author, the difficulty of its precepts, the weakness of the persons by whom it was preached, and the small number and mean condition of those who re.ceived it; yet, having in itself the strength of truth, it would grow exceedingly, and extend itself into all countries, and by that means afford spiritual sustenance to persons of all nations who should be admitted into it, not in the quality of slaves, as the Jews imagined, but as free born subjects of the Messiah's kingdom, enjoying therein equal privileges with the Jews.

This parable was well calculated to encourage the disciples, who, judging the gospel by its beginning, might have been apt to fall into despair, when instead of seeing it preached by the learned, countenanced by the great, and instantly received with applause by all, they found it generally opposed by men in high life, preached only by illiterate persons, and received by few besides the vulgar. These to be sure were melancholy circumstances, and what must have given great offence; yet in process of time they became strong confirmations of the Christian religion. The treasure of the gospel was committed to earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might appear to be from God.

This sense of the parable is the more probable, as our Lord seems now to have had his eye on Nebuchadnezzar's dream, (Dan. iv 10.) in which the nature and advantages of civil government are represented by a great tree with spreading branches, fair leaves, and much fruit, and in it avas meat for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowis of heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

§ LIII. The parable of the leaven, see § 90.

Our Lord's mother

comes to him a second time, see § 48. Matth. xiii. 33,—35. Mark iv. 33, 34. Luke viii. 19,-21.

JESUS next delivered the parable of the leaven. Matth. xiii. 33. Another parable spake he unto them, The kingdom of heaven, the operations of the doctrines, precepts, and promises of the gospel upon the minds of men, may, in respect of their efficacy, be represented by the following similitude: it is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, perhaps this was the common quantity that used to be prepared in order to be baked, till the whole was leavened. The meaning of this parable is commonly thought to be the same with that of the preceding. Yet there seems to be this difference between the two; the parable of the grain of mustard seed, represents the smallness of the gospel in its beginnings, together with its subsequent greatness; whereas the parable of the leaven, which being hid in a quantity of meal fermented the whole, expresses in

a very lively manner, both the nature and strength of the operation of truth upon the mind. For though the doctrines of the gospel when first proposed, seemed to be lost in that enormous mass of passions and worldly thoughts with which mens minds. were filled, yet did they then most eminently exert their influence, converting mens thoughts, and desires, and cares, into a conformity to truth. The precise difference therefore between this and the preceding parable is, that the former represents the extensive propagation of the gospel from the smallest-beginnings, but this the nature of the influence of its doctrines upon the minds of particular persons.

Mark iv. 33. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it: He preached the doctrines of the gospel in these and many other parables of a like nature, according as his hearers were able to receive them. 34. But without a parable spake he not unto them. He did not on this occasion speak any thing to them in plain language. His whole discourse was conceived in parables, so that it may justly be called his parabolical sermon. The reason why he addressed them in this figurative stile was, he judged it the most inoffensive way of proposing the great doctrines of the gospel, which in plain language they would not have received. And though they did not at the present understand them, the striking figures in the parables rivetted themselves in their memories, and were of great use to them afterwards, when they came to be explained by the events. In using this way of instruction, Jesus followed the example of ancient sages, and particularly Asaph, whose words the evangelist quotes on this occasion, accommodating them to Jesus. Matt. xiii. 34. And without a parable spake he not unto them. 35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

While Jesus was delivering these parables, his mother and brethren came a second time, desiring to see him. Perhaps they were afraid that this continued fatigue of preaching might hurt his health, and would have had him rest a while to refresh himself. Luke viii. 19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. 20. And it was told him by certain, which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. But Jesus, knowing their errand, answered as before. 21. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it *. See on Matt. xii. 50. § 48.

Our Lord's mother made this visit, probably with a design to carry him to Nazareth, where she hoped he would work miracles, and bless his countrymen with the benefits he so freely dispensed wherever he came.

She

She seems to have succeeded in her design; for not long after this he went away into his own country, as Matthew informs us, xiii. 53. which see. Accordingly we find, that on making the transposition in Mark mentioned 31. he falls in with Matthew at chap. vi, 1. agreeing with him here, as every where else, in the order of the history, which is no small confirmation of this scheme of harmony.

LIV. The parable of the tares explained. See $50.

Matt. xiii. 36,--43. Mark iv. 34.

THE multitude having now been long together, it is probable that the evening drew on. Jesus therefore dismissed them, and returned home with his disciples, who when they were come into the house, begged him to explain the parable of the tares. Matt. xiii. 36. Then Jesus sent the multitude arvay, and went into the house. And his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares in the field: explain the parable of the tares which were sown in the field. Jesus, pleased to find his disciples attentive to his parables, cheerfully granted their request. By the husbandman, he told them was meant Messiah; by the field, the world, i. e. the church in the world, as may be collected from the parable itself; by the good seed, good Christians, made so through the influences of the Spirit of Christ; by the tares, bad Christians, seduced to sin through the temptations of the devil. 37. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. 38. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the quicked one. 39. The enemy that soweth them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. In this parable, therefore, he represented the mixt nature of the church on earth, and the dismal end of hypocrites, the most genuine offspring of the devil, who though they may deceive for a time, by assuming the fair appearance of goodness, yet, sooner or later, never fail to discover themselves. And though well meaning people, grieved to see the hurt that is done to religion by corrupt professors, wish to have the church wholly composed of sincere members, yet the bad must not be extirpated by persecution, because the servants of Christ cannot judge of mens hearts, so as to distinguish hypocrites with certainty, and consequently, in rooting them up, might be apt to destroy the wheat, or good Christians, with them. This parable likewise teaches us, that the distinction between good and bad Christians cannot be made till the end of the world, when there shall be an unerring, full, and final separation of the one from the other. Hypocrites, and false teachers, and all who either cause iniquity, or do it, shall then be gathered together and cast into hell, where they shall be tormented with the bitterest pain, while righteous men shall be made unspeakably happy in heaven. 40. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire; so shall it be in the

end

a

end of this world. 41. The Son of man shall send forth his an gels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity. 42. And shall cast them into furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. In this beautiful expression our Lord seems to have had his eye upon Dan. xii. 3. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." The righteous in travelling to heaven, are apt frequently to fall, by reason of the stumbling-blocks that lie in their way, of which stumbling-blocks, as our Lord here informs us, the persons with whom they converse oftentimes prove none of the least mischievous. By these falls they are sullied to such a degree, that their beauty is in a great measure obscured. Hence they are often held in no estimation, nay, it may be, are absolutely contemned. But when they enter the kingdom of their father, it shall fare quite otherwise with them. Being then freed from all the humbling circumstances which attend mortality, cleansed also from sin, and the pollutions of sin wherewith they are now disfigured, they shall shine like the sun in the firmament for brightness and beauty, and shall find no diminution of their splendour by age. A noble image this to represent the glory and happiness of righteous men with God their father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. This exclamation intimates, that truths of greater importance and solemnity cannot be uttered than those which respect the final misery of the wicked, and the inconceivable happiness of the righteous, and that all who have the faculty of reason, ought therefore to regard them with a becoming attention. See on Matt. xi. 15. § 42.

Mark insinuates, that on this occasion Jesus explained to the disciples in private all his other parables likewise. iv. 34. And when they were alone, he expounded all things to the disciples.

LV. The parables of the treasure hid in a field, and of the merchant seeking precious pearls. Matt. xiii. 44,-46.

Ir was on this occasion also, that Jesus delivered the parables of the treasure hid in a field, and of the pearl of great price, shewing the different ways by which men come to the knowledge and belief of the gospel. Matth. xiii. 44. Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field: one way in which the gospel is found and embraced, may be illustrated by a treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field, in order that with the field he may have a right to the treasure in it. This parable therefore was designed to teach us, that some meet with the gospel as it were by accident, and

without

without seeking after it, agreeably to what the prophet Isaiah says, chap. lxv. 1. "That God is found of them that seek him not." On the other hand, the parable of the merchant who enquired after goodly pearls, and found one of great value, informs us, that mens receiving the gospel is oftentimes the effect of a diligent search after truth. Matth. xiii. 45.. Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls: another way in which the gospel is found and embraced, may be illustrated by the behaviour of a merchant who goes in quest of beautiful pearls. 46. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it: judging it to be worth a great deal more than the price set upon it, he bought it, though, in order to purchase it, he was obliged to part with all that he had. He did this, however, with cheerfulness, because he knew it would bring him a great deal more than it had cost him. The gospel is fitly compared to a treasure, as it enriches all who possess it; and to a pearl, because of its beauty and preciousness. Both parables represent the effect of divine truth upon those who find it, whether by accident, or upon enquiry. Being found and known, it appears exceeding valuable, and raises in mens breasts such a vehemency of desire, that they willingly part with all they have for the sake of obeying its precepts, and when they have parted with all on its account, they think themselves incomparably richer than before.

f LVI. The parables of the net cast into the sea, which gathered fish of every kind; and of the householder which brings out of his treasure things new and old. Mat. xiii. 47,-52.

THE parable of the net cast into the sea, which inclosed many fish of every kind, intimates, that by the preaching of the gospel a visible church should be gathered on earth, consisting both of good and bad men, mingled in such a manner, that it would be difficult to make a proper distinction between them, but that at the end of the world the bad shall be separated from the good, and cast into hell, which the parable represents under the image of casting them into a furnace of fire, because that was the most terrible punishment known in the eastern countries. See Dan. iii. 6. Matth. xiii. 47. Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: the gathering of the visible church by the preaching of the gospel, and the final judgment of those who compose it, may be illustrated by the casting of a net into the sea which inclosed fishes of every kind. 48. Which when it was full they drew to shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49. S shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sewer the wicked from among the just. 50. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnash