an

thorns sprung up, and choked them. 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The scope of this parable is to show that there are four several sorts of hearers of the word, and but one sort only that hear to a saving advantage: also to show us the cause of the different success of the word preached. Here observe, 1. The sowers, Christ and his apostles; he the prime and principal Sower, they the secondary and subordinate seeds men. Christ sows his own field, his ministers sow his field; he sows his own seed, they sow his seed. Woe unto us, if we sow our own seed, and not Christ's. Observe, 2. The seed sown, the word of God. Fabulous legends, and unwritten traditions, which the seedsmen of the church of Rome sow, these are not seed, but chaff; or their own seed, not Christ's. Our Lord's field must be sown with his own seed, not with mixed grain. Learn, 1. That the word of God preached is like seed sown in the furrows of the field. As seed has a fructifying virtue in it, by which it increases and brings forth more of its own kind; so has the word of God a quickening power, to regenerate and make alive dead souls. Learn,

2. That the seed of the word, where it is most plentifully sown, is not alike fruitful. As seed doth not thrive in all ground alike, so neither doth the word fructify alike in the hearts of men. There is a difference

both from the nature of the soil and from the influence of the Spirit. Learn, 3. That the cause of the word's unfruitfulness is very different, and not the same in all in some, it is the policy of Satan, that bird of prey which follows God's plough, and steals away the precious seeds. In others, it is a hard heart of unbelief: in others, the cares of the world, like thorns, choke the word, overgrow the good seed, draw away the moisture of the earth, and the heart of

the soil, and hinder the influences of the sun. The far greater part of hearers are fruitless and unprofitable hearers. Learn, 4. That the best ground doth not bring forth fruit alike; some good ground brings forth more, and some less: some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold. In like

manner a person may be a profitable hearer of the word, although he doth not bring forth so great a proportion as others, provided he brings forth as much as he can.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou

unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Here we have the disciples' question, and our Saviour's answer. Their question is, Why speakest thou to the people in parables, which they do not understand? They cannot see the soul of thy meaning, through the body of thy parables. Christ answers, "To you, my disciples, and such as you are, who love the truth, and desire to obey it, the Spirit gives you an effective, operative, and experimental knowledge, not barely to know these things, but to believe them, and feel the power of them in and upon your own hearts; but the generality of hearers do satisfy and content themselves with a bare notional knowledge of what they hear; a parable therefore is well enough for them." Learn, 1. That the doctrines of the gospel are mysterious. 2. That it is a matchless and invaluable privilege, practically and savingly to understand and know gospel-mysteries. 3. That this privilege all are not sharers in, nor partakers of, but only those to whom it is given: Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

That is, whosoever improves the meameasures and degrees of it: but from him sures of grace received, shall obtain farther that doth not improve what he has already received, shall be taken away that which to himself or others he seemed to have, his Learn, That where there are beginnings of common gifts and moral endowments. true grace, and a right and wise improvement of it, God will make rich additions of more grace to the present stock which

we have received.

their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

These words of our blessed Saviour, as I conceive, have a peculiar reference and relation to the Pharisees, who attended

upon Christ's ministry, not with an honest simplicity of mind, to be instructed by it, but to carp and cavil at it. Our Saviour tells them he had formerly spoken things very plainly and clearly to them, and also wrought miracles before them, to convince them of the divinity of his person and the verity of his doctrine: but they would not believe either his person or his doctrine to be from God; and therefore he would now speak to them in dark parables, that they may be judicially blinded: they sinfully shut their eyes against the clearest light, and said they would not see; and now Christ closes their eyes judicially, and says, they shall not see. Learn hence, to acknowledge the divine justice, which speaks darkly to them that despise the light: such as see and yet see not, they shall see the shell, but not the kernel: they shall hear the parable, but not understand the spiritual sense and meaning of it.

When wilful blindness of mind is added to natural blindness, it is a just and righteous thing with God to superadd judicial blindness, and give them obstinacy of heart, his curse unto them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Here our Saviour pronounces such of his disciples and followers blessed, as received the truths of the gospel so far as they were already taught them; he assures them that they shall receive farther light, and fuller measures of spiritual illumination: Blessed are your eyes, for they see. Learn, that such as have received the least measure of spiritual knowledge and saving illumination, and do improve it, are in a happy and blessed condition; for as they are capable of farther measures of divine knowledge, so shall they be partakers of them.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way-side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it: 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty.

As if our Lord had said, "You, my disciples, who are not satisfied with a sound of words, I will explain to you the sense and signification of this parable: the scope of which is, to show the different effects which the word of God has upon men's hearts, and the reason of that difference. The seed is the word, the sower is the preacher, the soil is the heart and soul of man." Now our Saviour assures us, that the hearts of some hearers are like highway ground, in which the seed is not others are like stony ground, in which the covered with the harrow of meditation; word has no root; no root in their understandings, memories, conscience, will, or affections; but they are offended, either at the depth and profoundness of the word, or at the sanctity or strictness of it, or at the plainness and simplicity of it. Again, some hearers our Lord compares to thorny ground. Thorns are covetous desires, which choke the good seed, shadow the blade when sprung up, keep off the influences of the sun, and draw away the fatness of the soil from the seed. All these effects have thorns in and among the seed; and the like effects have worldly affections and covetous desires in the heart of man, rendering the word unfruitful and unprofit

able. But the good Christian hears the word attentively, keeps it retentively, believes it stedfastly, applies it particularly, practises it universally, and brings forth fruit with patience and perseverance; fruit that will redound to his account, in the great day of account. Learn, 1. That no hearers are in Christ's account good hearers of the word, but such as bring forth the fruits of an holy, humble, and peaceable conversation. 2. That a person may be a good hearer of the word, if he brings forth the best fruit he can, though it be not in so great a proportion as others do; as some ground brings forth thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold: in like manner do all the sincere hearers of the word, they all bring forth fruit, though not all alike; all in sincerity and reality, though not all to the same degree, and none to perfection. Observe, lastly, Satan is here compared to the fowls of the air, which pick up the seed before it takes any root in the earth. The devil is very jealous of the success of the word, and therefore labours all he can to destroy the word, before it comes to operate upon the heart: which he doth sometimes by the cares of the world, sometimes by vain companions, who prove mere quench-coals unto early conviction: if he can steal away the word, or choke it, he has his desire and design.

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The design and scope of this parable is, to show that there is no expectation of universal purity in the church of God in this life; but as the tares and the wheat grow together in the same field, so hypocrites and sincere Christians are and will be intermixed in the same church, and can hardly be discerned one from the other. St. Jerome observes, That in the eastern countries, the tares and the wheat were so like one another, whilst they were in the blade, that there was no knowing them asunder. Learn, 1. That in the outward and visible church there ever has been and will be a mixture of good and bad, of saints and sinners, of hypocrites and sincere Christians, until the day of judgment. 2. That in that day Christ will make a thorough and a perfect separation, and divide the tares from the wheat: that is, the righteous from the wicked. 3. That in the mean time none ought to be so offended at this mixture in the church, as to separate from church-communion on that account; until the harvest, it is not to be expected that the tares and wheat should be perfectly separated. Yet observe, 4. That though the tares are forbidden to be plucked up when sown, yet it is the church's duty, all she can, to hinder their sowing. Though we must not root the wicked up, yet we must prevent the rooting of wickedness all we can. Our Saviour, that forbad to pluck up the tares, did not forbid to hinder their sowing. Note here, How vain is the collection of the Erastians from hence, that the wicked are not to be cut off by excommunication from the communion of the church; nor doth this text prove that the magistrates not spoken to them, but to the ministers may not cut off evil-doers; seeing this was of the church.

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 33 Another parable spake he unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 34 All these things spake Jesus unto

of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The design and scope of the parable also is, to set forth the state of the gospelchurch, which is like a floor, where chaff is mixed with wheat; a field, where tares are mixed with good corn; a net, where bad fishes are involved with the good. As the wheat must not be removed out of the floor before the time of winnowing; nor the tares gathered out of the field before the time of reaping; nor the good fishes break through the net to get from the bad before the time of separation; so must not Christians forsake a church's communion, because of the present mixture of good and bad in the church. For a mixed communion in the church, and the good Christians communicating with the bad, doth neither defile the ordinances of Christ nor pollute those that sincerely join in them.

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Observe here, 1. The title which our Saviour puts upon gospel-ministers; they are household stewards. 2. He points out the office of those stewards; and that is, to provide for the household both with plenty and variety. He must bring forth out of his treasure in plenty; and things new and old for their variety. There are two essential qualifications in a steward, faithfulness and prudence; he must be honest and faithful, in bringing out of his own treasure, not another's; and he must be prudent, in bringing things new, as well as old; not new truths, but old truths in a new dress; lest the household, by always feeding upon the same dish, do nauseate it, instead of being nourished by it.

53 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and

56 And his

Simon, and Judas? sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57 And they were offended in him.

Observe here, 1. Christ's tender and compassionate regard to his own countrymen, the people of Galilee and Nazareth; he preached to them in their synagogue. 2. The effect which his doctrine had upon them; they were astonished at it, but not converted by it; they admire, but did not believe. 3. The cause of their rejecting Christ's ministry was the meanness of his person, the contemptibleness of his outward condition, the poverty of his relations: Is not this the carpenter's son? Mark vi. 3. he is called the carpenter; whence the fathers concluded, that our Saviour, during the time of his obscure privacy, wrought at the trade of Joseph his reputed father; and Justin Martyr says, he made ploughs and yokes. Sure we are, our Lord spent no time in idleness, though we are not certain how he employed his time before he entered upon his public ministry. Note, That the poverty and meanness of Christ's condition, was that which multitudes stumbled at; and which kept many, yea, most, from believing on him. None but a spiritual eye can discern beauty in an humbled Saviour: Is not this the Son of the carpenter? 2. That it is no impediment to nor hinderance of our faith, that we never saw Christ's person in the flesh, nor knew his parentage and education; for here are his own countrymen, who daily saw his person, heard his doctrine, and were witnesses of his holy conversation, yet instead of believing in him, they were offended at him.

-But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

Our Saviour tells them, he doth not wonder that so many of his own countrymen, to whom he had been so familiarly known, did despise his person and reject his doctrine; for a prophet generally has least esteem where he has been brought childhood, and indecencies of his youth, up; because, perhaps, the follies of his are remembered and reported to his disparagement. Learn, 1. That there is a real tribute of honour due and payable to every prophet or faithful minister of Jesus Christ. 2. That the ministers of Christ, for the most part, have least honour from their own countrymen, to whom they are best known. 3. That although it be so,