CH. 12. ch. 9; 34. SECT. VI. 20"voice be heard in the streets. A bruised reed he Then was brought to him a demoniac dumb and blind; and he cured him, insomuch that he both 23 spake and saw. And all the people said with 24 amazement, Is this the son of David? But the Pharisees hearing them said, This man expelleth demons only by Beelzebub prince of the demons. Lu. 11; 15. 25 But Jesus knowing their surmizes, said to them, Mar. 3; 22. By civil dissensions any kingdom may be desolated; and no city or family, where such dissen26 sions are, can subsist. Now if Satan expel Satan, his kingdom is torn by civil dissensions; 27 how can it then subsist? Besides, if I expel de mons by Beelzebub; by whom do your sons expel 28 them? Wherefore they shall be your judges. But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, the reign Is. 49; 24. 29 of God hath overtaken you. For how can one enter the strong one's house, and plunder his goods, unless he first overpower the strong one? 30 Then indeed he may plunder his house. He who is not for me, is against me: and he who gathereth not with me, scattereth. Mar. 3; 28 Lu. 12; 10. 1 Jo. 5; 16. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, though every other sin and detraction in men is pardonable, their de32 traction from the Spirit is unpardonable: for whosoever shall inveigh against the Son of Man may obtain pardon; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, shall never be pardoned, either SECT. VI. CH. 12 33 in the present state, or in the future. Either call the tree good, and its fruit good; or call the tree bad, and its fruit bad: for we distinguish the tree 34 by the fruit. Offspring of vipers, how can ye that are evil speak good things, since it is out of the Lu. 6; 45. 35 fulness of the heart that the mouth speaketh? The good man out of his good treasure produceth good things: the bad man out of his bad treasure produ36 ceth bad things. Be assured, however, that of every pernicious word which men shall utter, they shall 37 give an account on the day of judgment. For by 1 Cor. 1; 22. thy words thou shalt be acquitted; and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 38 ch. 16; 1. ch. 16; 4. Then some of the Scribes and Pharisees inter- Lu. 11; 29. posed, saying, Rabbi, we desire to see a sign from 39 thee. He answering, said unto them, An evil and adulterous race demandeth a sign; but no sign shall be given them, save the sign of the Prophet 40 Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three Jon. 1; 17. nights in the stomach of the great fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the 41 bosom of the earth. The Ninevites will stand up Jon. 3; 5. in the judgment against this race, and cause it to be condemned, because they repented when they were warned by Jonah; and behold here some42 thing greater than Jonah. The queen of 16 the 1 Ki. 10; 1south country will arise in the judgment against this race, and cause it to be condemned; because she came from the extremities of the earth to hear 16 In the Old Testameut, Sheba. 2 Chr. 9; 1. CH. 12. Lu. 11; 24 43 2 Pet. 2; 20. Heb. 6; 4. & 10; 26' Mar. 3; 31 SECT. VI. the wise discourses of Solomon; and behold here something greater than Solomon. An unclean spirit, when he is gone out of a man, wandereth over parched deserts in search of a resting-place. And not finding any, he saith, 44' I will return to my house whence I came ;' and being come, he findeth it empty, swept, and fur45 nished. Whereupon he goeth, and bringeth with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and having entered, they dwell there; and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first: thus will it also fare with this evil race. 46 While he discoursed to the people, his mother and brothers were without, desiring to speak with him. 47 And one said to him, Thy mother and thy brothers 48 are without, desiring to speak with thee. He an swering, said to him that told him, Who is my 49 mother? and who are my brothers? Then stretch ing out his hand towards his disciples, he said, 50 Behold my mother and my brothers. For whosoever doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, is my brother, and sister, and mother. SECT. VII. сн. 13. SECTION VII. PARABLES. XIII. THE same day, Jesus having gone out of the Mar. 4; 1. 2 house, sat by the sea side; but so great a multitude flocked about him, that he went into a bark, and sat down there, while all the people stood on the 3 shore. Then he discoursed to them of many things in parables. 4 THE Sower, said he, went out to sow; and in Mar. 4; 3: sowing, some seeds fell by the way-side, and the Lu. 8; 4' 5 birds came and picked them up: some fell on rocky ground where they had little earth: these sprang up the sooner, because the soil had no 6 depth: but after the sun had beaten upon them, they were scorched, and having no root, withered 7 away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns 8 grew up and choked them. Others fell into good ground, and yielded increase, some a hundred, 9 some sixty, some thirty fold. Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 Lu. 8; 9. Then the disciples accosted him, saying, Why Mar. 4; 1011 speakest thou to them in parables? He answering, said unto them, Because it is your privilege, and not theirs, to know the secrets of the reign of heaven. 12 For to him that hath, more shall be given, and he ch. 25; 29. Mar. 4; 25. Isa. 6; 9. Ro. 11; 8, CH. 13. 13 SECT. VII. shall abound; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken. For this reason I speak to them in parables; because they seeing, 14 see not; and hearing, hear not, nor regard; inso much that this prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in them, "Ye may indeed listen, but will not under15 "stand; ye may look, but will not perceive. For "this people's understanding is stupified, their "ears are deafened, and their eyes they have clos"ed, lest seeing with their eyes, hearing with "their ears, and apprehending with their under 66 standing; they should repent, and I should Lu. 10; 23 16" reclaim them." But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and Mar. 4; 14 18 19 sower. righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see, but have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, but have not heard them. Understand ye, therefore, the parable of the When one heareth the doctrine of the reign, but mindeth it not, the evil one cometh, and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart. 20 This explaineth what fell by the way-side. That which fell on rocky ground, denoteth him who, hearing the word, receiveth it at first with plea21 sure; yet not having it rooted in his mind, retaineth it but a while; for when trouble or persecution cometh, because of the word, instantly 22 he relapseth. That which fell among thorns, denoteth that hearer in whom worldly cares, and deceitful riches, stifle the word, and render it un |