saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren ? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of P desire thee to come to them. God, the same is 9 shall be valued by me as dearly as any of the my brother, and my nearest relations is by any man. sister, and mother. AND he began again to teach by the sea side and there CHAP. IV. 1. And again he taught by the sea side, and the people flocked so together about him, that he was was gathered unto forced to go into a boat, and sit in that the water; him a great multi- and the whole multitude tude, so that he entered into a ship, and 1 sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, a and said unto them in his doctrine, Be 3 Hearken; hold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell : upon and as he taught them thus he said, b See Matt. xiii. 4. 9 Or, seeking him for the King's MS. reads (TOÛVTES AUTÓV. θῆσθαι ἐν. 1 abode on the sea, kα on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. с 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he • See note [a] on Matt. xiii. 10. And being retired from the company of the was alone, they that promiscuous multitude, they that constantly followed the twelve asked of him, together with the twelve select or chosen disciples, Matt. xiii. 10, desired him to interpret to them were about him with him the parable. II And he said the meaning of the parable. unto them, Unto you it is given to know d the mystery of the d the secret manner of God's dispensing of his grace, kingdom of God: which to others is more obscurely delivered in parabut unto them that these things are done in parables: 12 [a] That seeing bles, 12. In such a manner, that although they hear they may see, and God's word, yet they are not wrought on by it so far not perceive; and as to be converted, or to have their sins pardoned; hearing they may hear, and not un- and this is a punishment of their own faults in holdderstand; lest at any ing out against God's word and not embracing it. time they should be See Matt. xiii. 15. converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he said 13. But as parables are a way of obscuring doctrine unto them, Know ye to the careless heedless hearers, so have they a spenot this parable? and how then will ye cial energy in them, which worketh most sharply, and know all parables? with greatest quickness on the diligent hearer, such by himself, Kaтaμóvas. 3 all things, τὰ πάντα. 4 consider, lest at any time they couvert, συνιῶσι, μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσι. 14 T The soweth the word. sower disciples are supposed to be, (see Matt. xiii. 13,) and therefore it is strange you should not understand my they by the way side, meaning in this parable, which is an essay of what where the word is may be expected of you in others the like hereafter, sown; but when they this being the way in which I shall commonly speak have heard, Satan unto you. cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown 5 in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which e are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with glad ness; 17 And have no 15. Those which are answerable to the ground which is by the way on which men tread, are they which, when the word is sown, hear it, and Satan 17. The word in them hath not found any mould root in themselves, or soil wherein to take root; and that is the reason that whatever their resolutions are, they endure— and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are 6 offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts f the various objects of men's carnal appetites, being of other things en- entertained and admitted by them, stifle the comtering in, choke the mands of Christ, as weeds do good corn, by over word, and it becom eth unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold,some sixty, and some an hundred. 21 And he said growing it, 21. The gospel of Christ wheresoever it is received, unto them, Is a can- as it ought, is diffusive of itself, is as a candle lighted dle brought to be and brought into a room, on purpose to shine forth to put under a bushel, others in communicating the light we have, (see 8 and not to be set Matt. v. 15,) and in actions of the light, Christian on a candlestick? performances. or under a bed? 5 Or, out of their heart, for the King's MS. reads, àñò tŷs kapdías avtŵv. 6 scandalized, σκανδαλίζονται. 7 desires which are about other things, αἱ περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐπιθυμίαι. 8 is it not that it may be put, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπιτεθῇ. 22 For there is no 9 shall not be mani 22. For the doctrine which is taught you by me, thing hid, which in or out of parables, must be both practised and pubfested; 10 neither was lished by you, and therefore (for no other reason) it any thing kept se- is revealed to you, and that by way of parables, which cret, but that it should are the obscuring of it, that having acquired the come abroad. understanding of them you may set the more value 23 If any man have ears to hear, let him on them for your own practice, and be more industrious to communicate them to others: see Matt. x. 26. hear. 24 And he said 23. And therefore let there be a weight laid on these unto them, "Take and all other my words, and be sure you lay them up heed what ye hear: to do accordingly. with what measure ye mete, it shall be 24. And he further said unto them, Mark diligently measured to you: (and practise accordingly) what you hear: as you deal and unto you that with God, so will he deal with you; and to those of you that heed and make use of what is said to you, 25 For he that hath, more knowledge shall be revealed. hear shall more be given. which he hath. to him shall be given: 25. For he that makes use of that grace and knowand he that hath not, ledge which he hath, (see note [b] on Matt. xiii.) he from him shall be shall improve extremely; the very using his talent taken even that well, the exercising of Christian virtues, and the 26 And he said, teaching them to others, is a sure way of improving So is the kingdom it, and besides, God's blessing and grace to him is a of God, as if a man great though insensible addition also; and, on the should cast seed into contrary, that which is not used decreases and mouldthe ground; should ers away, 27 And and it is just with God to withdraw it. sleep, and rise night 26. To which purpose he used another parable: and day, and the The state of Christianity is as if a man should till and seed should spring sow his ground, and grow up, he knoweth not how. 27. And having done so, never do more toward 28 For the earth the growing of the corn, but go to bed at night and bringeth forth fruit rise in the morning, and yet without any contribution of herself; first the of his, it comes up and grows insensibly, he knows 12 blade, then the not how. ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 28. For the earth itself by its own strength, (and 29 But when the the continual warmth and influences of heaven, and fruit 13 is [6] brought the dews and showers that God is pleased to afford forth, immediately he putteth in the it,) without any further labour or daily assistance of sickle, because the the husbandman, completes the whole work, sends harvest is come. out a spear of grass, as it were, first, then a blade, &c. 29. And when it is perfectly ripe, he reaps it in the time of harvest; so, when Christ hath made known our duty to us, he expects, without more ado, that we should set to the performance of it, make good resolutions, bring forth good fruit, and when we have finished s which should not be made manifest, ὅ ἐὰν μὴ φανερωθῇ. 10 nor was it made secret, οὐδὲ ἐγένετο ἀπόκρυφον. 11 Consider, BλÉTETE. green corn like grass, then the stalk, or, stalk, then the full corn on the stalk, χόρτον, εἶτα στάχυν, εἶτα πλήρη σῖτον ἐν τῷ στάχυϊ. 12 13 is ripe. 30 ¶ And he said, our course, he then takes us to himself and rewards Whereunto shall we us: and whensoever Christ's word and grace meets liken the kingdom of God? or with what with an honest heart, thus it is upon his first being comparison shall we revealed to him. compare it? 30. The same also is the meaning of that other 31 It is like a grain parable. of mustard seed, which, when it is 31. The state of Christianity is like to the sowing sown in the earth, of mustard seed: there the word and grace of Christ is less than all the is sown in the heart, as a little grain of mustard seed seeds that be in the in a garden; it is small and unconsiderable at the sow32 But when it is ing, as the mustard seed is the least of all seeds. earth: sown, it groweth up, 32. But being sowed, as the mustard seed comes and becometh great- up, and within a while grows into a tree, (Luke xiii. er than all herbs, 19,) and hath branches big enough for birds (to build and shooteth out nests in and roost, Luke xiii. 19, or) to be defended from sun or weather in them, so doth that in the air may lodge under honest heart bring forth most abundantly, by the grace and blessing of God upon the use of his talents great branches; so that the fowls of the the shadow of it. 33 And with many of grace. such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. 35 And 14h the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him 15 i even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great [c] storm g in such a manner as was most intelligible, and withal most profitable for them. Ꮒ h on a certain time, Matt. viii. 23, in the ship i alone, without the multitude in the ship. k tempest of wind and rain together, and the of wind, and the waves- 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow and they a 14 on that day, ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρα. 15 as he was, into the ship, ŵs v ev tập mλoly, |