Panoint but this woman hath anointed my feet with oint ment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, P See note [c] on Matt. xxvi. a The greatness of the mercy shewn to her hath which are many, are proportionably a far greater expression of gratitude forgiven; [d] for 8 she loved much: but from her: but to whom to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to This great expression and these affectionate extraordinary acts of thy faith are rewarded with a free the woman, Thy pardon of all thy sins past; go and live as thou oughtfaith hath saved thee; est to do for the rest of thy life, and God's favour and go in peace. all happiness go along with thee. AND it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the king a CHAP. VIII. a the doctrine of Christianity, and the reformation dom of God: and which God now expected and required to be wrought among this people, or else he would send judgments the twelve were with him, 2 And certain wo- on them: and the twelve men, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom b went seven devils, 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which [a]ministered unto him of their substance. 4 ¶ And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and b seven devils had been cast out. e had supplied him with necessaries out of their own possessions. 5. See Matt. xiii. 3. 8 therefore. as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him, saying, d What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom e d What is the meaning of this parable? e Christian doctrine, but to others I spake in paraof God: but to others bles, that that prophecy of Isaias might be fulfilled on in parables; that seeing they might not them, which said, Hearing ye shall hear, and not undersee, and hearing they stand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: God might not under- denying them those more clear means, and allowing them none but parables, as a punishment of their 11 Now the parable former obduration against his means. See Matt. xiii. 14. stand. is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the 12. They that receive the word, parallel to the way side are they seed sown by the path or way, are those hearers that hear; then com- which receive it so little way into their hearts, that taketh away the word the devil comes presently and picks it up, as birds do out of their hearts, corn, and so they are never the better for it. eth the devil, and lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while be 13. See Matt. xiii. 20. lieve, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and fare are choked by the deceitfulness of riches and choked with cares pleasures, and the cares of this world, and do not perand riches and pleasures of this life, and severe till time of bringing forth ripe fruit, that is, [b] bring no fruit to till harvest, fall off after some few Christian performperfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth 1 ances. continue in all Christian practice, and never fall fruit with patience. off again. 17 For nothing is 17. For it is not God's will that any talent should secret, that shall not be laid up useless and unprofitable, Matt x. 26, be made manifest; Mark iv. 22. neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 18 Take heed there 18. See therefore that you receive profit by what fore how ye hear you hear: for to him that employs his present stock for whosoever hath, shall more be given; but from him which doth not so, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath even that which hath formerly been given him, shall not, from him shall be taken away again, Matt. xiii. 12. be taken even that which he seemeth to have. 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 I see thee. i 21 And he answered h kindred near unto him, Matt. xii. 46. i speak with thee. 21. Matt. xii. 50. 1 perseverance, ὑπομονῇ. and said unto them, 23 But as they sailed he fell asleep : and there came down a storm of wind on [c] the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and I rebuked the wind 22. Matt. viii. 23. k their boat was filled with water. 1 commanded the wind to cease, and the waves of and the raging of the sea not to move so turbulently, and accordingly the water and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. 26 ¶ And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. they ceased 26. See Matt. viii. 28. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee," torment me not. m let me alone to continue where I am, and do not before my time cast me into the place of torments, the 29 (For he had commanded the unclean pit of hell, ver. 31. See note [] on Mark v. spirit to come out of the man. For often times "it had caught him: and he was "the devil possessed him, and put him into a kind of kept bound with raving fit, which made him very unruly, and therechains and in fetters; upon he was kept and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion : because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not "command them to go out into [d] the deep. 32 And there was therean herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. P And he suffered them. 30. Mark v. 9. • cast them into the pit of hell. P And to shew the people the destructive power of this legion of devils, if not restrained by his omnipo33 Then went the devils out of the man, tent goodness, and so to let them see the great benefits and entered into the that were now come to them, if they would receive swine: and the herd and believe in Christ, he did permit (or not restrain) ran violently down them to do what they so much desired, to enter into a steep place into the swine. See Mark v. the lake, and were choked. 34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went 13. 9 villages in the country. |