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44 Then he faith, I will return to my

houfe from whence I came out; and when he is come, he

fwept, nished.

and gar

tertainment elsewhere, returns to the fame Man again; and if he finds him difpofed and fitted to receive him, enters into him again, and brings alfo findeth it empty, many other evil Spirits with him; fo that the ftate of that Man becomes ten times worse than it was at firft: Even fo fhall it be with the Men of this Generation. Ignorance, Superftition and Malice, like fo many evil Spirits, have by the preaching of the Gefpel begun to be in fome meafure difpelled from amongst them; But meeting with lefs Entertainment even in the Heathen World than among the Jews, and finding the Hearts of thefe Men ftill prepared to receive and entertain them, they return into them again, and filling them with more incurable Wickedness and Impenitence than ever, fit them for a most dreadful and exemplary Destruction.

45 Then goeth he and taketh with himself feven other fpirits more wicked then himself, and they enter in and dwell there and the last fate of that man is worse then the firft. Even fo fhall it be alfo unto this wicked gene

ration.

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46. While Jefus was difcourfing these things, his Mother and fome other of his nearest Relations, hoping (as it fhould feem) to draw him away from the Dangers which he expofed himself to, came and defired to speak to him.

47. But not being able to get near him for the Crowd of People, one that ftood nigh told him, that his Mother and other Relations waited to speak to him.

48. But Jefus anfwered him and faid; Who are they, whom ye call my Mother and Brethren? Do ye think that I efteem of People by nearness of Blood, by any earthly Relation or

Affections?

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thefe are they, whom ye ought more properly to call my Relations.

50. For whoever shall hear the Word of God, and believe and embrace and obey it; these are the Perfons, whom I look upon as my trueft Friends and Relations, and esteem them as my Mother and Brethren and Sifters.

ciples, and faid, Behold my mother,and my brethren.

50 For whofoever fhall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and fifter, and mother.

CHA P.

XIII.

The Parable of the Sower, ver. 1. Why Chrift fpake in Parables, ver. 10. Parable of the Tares, ver. 24. Of the Mustard-Seed, ver. 31. Of the Leaven, ver. 33. The Explication of thefe Parables, ver. 19. and 34. Parable of the hidden Treafure, ver. 44. Of the Pearl, ver. 45. Of the Fishing-Net, ver. 47. The Ufe and Application of them to the Difciples, ver. 51. Chrift defpifed in his own Country, ver. 53.

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BOUT this time, Jefus being teaching in the Houfe, and finding that he wanted room, went out to

1 THE fame day went Jefus out

of the house, and

the fide of the Lake, and there he fat fat by the fea fide. and taught the People.

2. And when the Multitude of People, that came together to hear him, grew fo great that they preffed one another, he went into a Boat that he might be the more conveniently feen and heard, and the People ftood upon the Shore before him.

3. And because there were but few among them, that were able to comprehend, or prepared and worthy to hear the whole Truth fully declared to them, therefore he inftilled things into them

2 And great multitudes were gathered together

unto

him, fo that he went into a fhip, and sate, and the whole multitude ftood on the

fhore.

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, faying, Behold, a fower

to sow.

went forth

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5 Some fell upon ftony places, where

earth and forth

by degrees, and taught them by the way of Comparifons or Similitudes. And firft he compared the preaching of the Gospel, to a Husbandman's fowing Corn in his Field; to show them, that as the fame Seed produced better or worfe Corn, according as it was fown in better or worfe Ground; fo the preaching of the Doctrine of Christianity had more or lefs effect upon the Lives of Men, according as it was heard and received by Men of honeft and well-difpofed Hearts, or by thofe of an evil and contrary Difpofition. A Husband-man, faith he, went out to fow his Ground: Thus the Preacher of the Gospel scattereth his Inftructions, and as it were fows the Precepts of true Religion, in the Hearts of his Hearers.

at all into the

4. And while he was fowing, fome of the Seed fell upon the beaten Road, and never entring Ground, was pick'd up by the Birds. Thus the Doctrine of the Gospel is heard by fome, who never confider and meditate upon it at all; but as they heard it carelessly and without regard, fo the next trivial bufinefs that either the Devil or the World puts into their Thoughts, caufes them immediately to forget it.

it

5, & 6. Again, fome other of the Seed fell upon rocky Ground, where they had not much the Earth being very fhallow, with they fprung up, Sprung up indeed quickly; but having because they had no no depth of Root, as foon as the Sun deepness of earth : fhone hot, it withered away: Thus fome 6 And when the others hear the Doctrine of Christianity, fun was up, they who receive it indeed, and confider it were fcorched; and alfo, and make Refolutions to obey it; because they had not but not having a fettled firmness and root, they withered conftancy of Mind, they are overcome

away.

by

by Temptations, especially in Perfecution, and fall away from God.

7. Again, fome other of the Seed fell among Weeds and Thorns, which Sprung up with the Corn, and overgrew it, and killed it. Thus the preaching of the Gofpel is heard by others, who alfo receive it and entertain it ; but their Minds are fo taken up with the Covetoufness, Cares, and Pleasures of the World, that it hath little or no Effect upon their Lives and Converfations.

8. Laftly, Some other of the Seed fell into good ground, which brought forth Corn proportionably to the good ness of the Soil, fome more plentifully, fome lefs: Thus fome others hear the Doctrine of true Religion; who being of good and honest and well-difpofed Tempers, believe, embrace and obey it, and fhow the Effects of it in the Holiness of their Lives; according to the different degrees of the Goodness of their Tempers, and of the firmness of their Refolutions, making fmaller or greater Improvements in Virtue.

9. He that is capable and defirous of being inftructed, let him attend and obferve what I fay.

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And fome fell among thorns: and the thorns fprung up

and choaked them.

8 But other fell

into good ground, and brought forth fruit, fome an hunfold, fome thirty-fold.

dred-fold, fome fixty

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

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13 Therefore fpeak I to them in parables : because they seeing, fee not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Efaias ; which faith, By hearing ye fhall hear, and fhall not underftand and feeing ye fhall fee, and fhall not perceive.

15 For this peo ples heart is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they haveclosed; left at any time they should fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and fhould underhearts, and fhould be

ftand with their

converted, and I fhould heal them.

mixt Multitude are not capable nor worthy of fuch a thing.

12. For they who with honefty and fimplicity receive Inftruction; and improve thofe Advantages, which God hath already given them, to the purposes of Religion and the increase of Virtue, as you do: Such Perfons indeed fhall have * more Inftruction and greater Affiftances, continually afforded them. But they who make no ufe of that Inftruction which is given. them, and improve not thofe Advantages which they already have; as a great part of thefe common Hearers do not: Such Perfons, as they are not capable, fo neither fhall they be accounted worthy of more Inftruction or greater Advantages:

13. Therefore I fpeak to them in Parables; that becaufe by fecing the greatest Miracles they have not been convinced, and by hearing the plaineft Doctrines they would not be made to understand; all thofe may yet continue Ignorant, who will not take pains to confider, and fearch out the Truth.

14. And thus in thefe People is most exactly fulfilled that Prophecy of Efaias; (Ifa. vi. 9.) Ye hear indeed, but understand not: and ye fee indeed, but perceive not.

15. For the Heart of this People is fat, and their Ears heavy, and their Eyes fhut; fo that they fee not with their Eyes, nor hear with their Ears, nor understand with their Heart, to be converted and healed.

* Mark iv. 24.

Unto you

that hear, shall more he given.

16. But

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