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And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith: "By hear- 14 ing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears 15 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." But 16 blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For 17 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.- Hear ye 18 therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word 19 of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked

14. In them is fulfilled, i. e. in reference to them the declaration of Isaiah is illustrated, Is. vi. 9, 10. The description the prophet gives in his time is applicable to the people of that age. Isaiah probably made here no prediction, but gave a historical description.-Seeing,i.e. shall see. A Hebrew mode of emphatical expression.

15. This people's heart is waxed gross, &c. Has become fat. The images in this verse are all of a material nature, fitted to convey a bold and striking impression of the sensual, stubborn, and prejudiced state of the people of that day.—Lest at any time, &c. Newcome has rendered it, "so that they see not with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, nor are converted, that I should heal them." They are represented as preferring to continue in their debased condition. They would not see, lest they should see the light; they would not hear, lest they should hear the truth.

16. Our Lord continues the prophet's style of address, and pronounces a benediction upon his disciples, for their good use of their privileges. They were happy in having the seeing eye and the hear

ing ear. Luke x. 23, 24. 1 Peter i. 10-12.

17. Many prophets. Teachers.Have desired to see, &c. Our Lord here declares, what is evident from the whole tenor of Scripture, that there was a deep longing amongst all good men and religious teachers for the coming of a great deliverer. They rejoiced in the day, though it was far off, and they saw only its twilight. John viii. 56, Heb. xi. 13. If the Apostles and disciples were happy in seeing the fulfilment of this great hope in part, how much happier are we, who have seen the meridian glory of the Sun of Righteousness! How much more responsible, that we should walk as the children of the light and of the day!

18. Hear ye therefore, &c., i. e. since you are teachable and inquiring, and love the truth, understand the import of the above parable. We are here highly favored in having our Master's own explanation, which is useful not merely for this individual case, but aids us in arriving at those principles on which all parables must be explained. Mark iv. 13.-The parable of the sower, i. e. the explanation of the parable.

19. The word of the kingdom. The

one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart; this is he 20 which received seed by the way-side. But he that received the seed

into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with 21 joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the 22 word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and

Gospel, the truths of the spiritual kingdom of Christ.-The wicked one. The evil one. A personification of all that is or tends to evil. Jesus adopts the phraseology of his time, for thus only could he be understood. So Paul uses the phrase, "the god of this world," 2 Cor. iv. 4, meaning worldly desires.-Catcheth away. Implying haste and quickness, as the birds eagerly snatch their food. Luke, viii. 11, adds, "The seed is the word of God.”—This is he which received seed, &c. Man is compared to the field, and not to the seed; as we say, the sown field, meaning the field that has received seed. The seed was good, but the field did not retain it. So the word was true, but the hearer did not cherish it. There is now, as then, a class of way-side hearers. They hearken to the truth, and perhaps acknowledge its correctness, but straightway go about their business or pleasures, and suffer it to slip at once from their minds and hearts. It never descends below the mere surface of their understandings. This is a large class; and nothing more discourages the teachers of religion, than to have hearers whose souls seem to have been trodden and worn so smooth, by manyfooted cares and pleasures, as to present an adamantine front against all serious impressions, as the polished shield turns aside every weapon of assault.

20. Slony places, i. e. rocky or ledgy ground. Anon. Immediate

ly.-With joy receiveth it. This des→ cribes a second class of hearers, common in all ages; and delineated by our Lord with vivid, dramatic power. They are not the bronzed, impervious, and indurated souls, who are susceptible of hardly a momentary impression, but those who are easily affected, perhaps even to tears. They gladly and cordially welcome the truth.

21. Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth; or endureth. But these persons have no deeply rooted, well grounded principles. They bear the instructions of religion, as they witness a show, or listen to a play at the theatre; and it would seem, at the time, that the effect would be lasting, so carried away are they by the appeal. But alas! it is like the morning cloud and early dew.-For when tribulation or persecution ariseth, then they fall. The burning sun of trial withers their rootless virtues. The temptations to which they are exposed on account of religion, the difficulties of a Christian life, the inconvenience arising from an unpopular faith, persecutions, and dangers, cause them to apostatize. For the Gospel has not struck its roots deep into the faculties of their souls. Such is the class of stony ground hearers.-By and by. Presently, soon.-Is offended. Stumbles, is led to transgress.

22. The care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches. Mark adds, "the lust of other things," and Luke, "the pleasures of this life." All the

the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that beareth 23 the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty.Another 24

various foes of man's moral nature are included in this description. The cares of our worldly life, though necessary, are liable to betray our better interests. It should be our prayer, therefore, that, whilst our hands are employed in worldly avocations, our hearts may take hold of something more satisfying and durable. The deceptive power of riches is proverbial, so that the Apostle said, "The love of money is the root of all evil," and most powerfully described its seductive fascination and fatal consequences. 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. The desires of ambition, appetite, and pleasure, captivate multitudes of the young, the spirited, and the aspiring, who escape the former tempters.-Choke the word, &c. Although men receive the seed of truth, and it becomes rooted, and is growing apace, yet if they suffer their characters to be overrun with weeds and thorns, it cannot become fruitful, but is choked and destroyed. We have now in the world this class of thorny ground hearers. They listen with interest, they understand the preached word, they are rooted and grounded in the faith, but life is the touchstone of the character. When they go forth to the perilous scenes of their probation, they are beset with thronging cares, beguiling pleasures, dazzling riches, and all the thousand-fold shapes of evil. Their better principles and feelings are overshadowed by this luxuriant growth of temptations. They can produce few blossoms, much less bring any fruit to perfection. Sowing wheat one day and tares the other six, can they wonder that

the harvest is so meagre? As has been said, "If adversity slays its thousands, prosperity slays its ten thousands.""The above three classes of nominal disciples are distinct from each other. Thoughtlessness or levity of mind distinguishes the first; timidity, or a dread of unpleasant consequences the second; and worldliness, or devotion to wealth, to business, or to any secular interests, the third. But they agree in the effect of their several errors; in none of them is Christian faith operative."

23. Heareth-understandeth-beareth fruit. These are the three characteristics of a true Christian, in their natural order. We must first read or hear the truth as it is in Jesus. We must then comprehend it. Mysteries cannot nourish the divine life. Finally, there must be the practical fruits of holy living, in piety to God, and benevolence to men, and purity of heart. John xv. 8, Gal. v. 22, 23. "In a rich and mellow soil, in a heart that submits itself to the full influence of truth, unchecked by cares and anxieties, under the mild vernal showers and sunmer suns of divine grace, with the heart spread open, like a broad luxuriant field to the rays of the morning and evening suns and dews, the Gospel takes deep root and grows; it has full room, and then and there only shows what it is."-Hundred-sixty

thirty. There are different grades of goodness. All Christians have not attained to an equal stature. Their powers, privileges, and fidelity are various. The reward is apportioned in equity to all. The

parable put he forth unto them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is 25 likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat; and 26 went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth 27 fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder

came and said unto him: Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy 28 field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them: An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him: Wilt thou then that 29 we go and gather them up? But he said: Nay; lest, while ye gather 30 up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow to

largest acquirements are not to nurture pride, and the smallest are not to beget discouragement. This parable reminds preachers that they are not to expect that all will profit by their instructions, or that those who do will be all equally benefited. It reminds all of the importance of hearing the truth, receiving it into good and honest hearts, Luke viii. 15, and bringing forth fruit with patience.

24. The kingdom of heaven. The divine administration in establishing and spreading Christianity in the world. Good seed "is good principles. The bad seed is bad principles. The wheat is good men, whose characters are formed on good principles. The tares are bad men, whose characters are formed on bad principles." Palfrey. The parable is explained by our Lord himself, verses 37-43.

25. While men slept, i. e. in the night, whilst there were none to observe the mischief done.-Sowed tares. It is a question what plant is here meant. The English word tares describes a kind of vetch. Perhaps a noxious weed, as cockle, or darnel, is intended. In the Rabbinical writers, however, a spurious kind of wheat is mentioned, which infested fields of grain, and somewhat resembled wheat in its form and growth. That plant was per

haps referred to in the text. The Persian version confirms this view, by rendering it, bitter grain.

26. Brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. The good and the bad plants were so much alike, that they were not distinguishable from each other until the fruit appeared. So it is with good and bad principles. The latter often wear a specious guise, and are only detected when the season arrives of bearing fruit.

27. So the servants came. These facts were introduced to give naturalness and vivacity to the story, and ought not, therefore, as commentators say, 66 to be cut to the quick," or pressed too far. Yet we may suppose that the astonishment of the early teachers of Christianity is described, at finding that evil men as well as good were within the pale of the church.

28. Will thou then that we go, &c. The first thought was, that the tares might be immediately eradicated. So there would be those, who, when they saw the good and the bad mingled together in the same body, would be impatient to make a sudden and violent separation between the two, little considering how dif ficult it might be to discriminate, and how dangerous to the good to attempt to remove the evil.

29. Root up also the wheat. The

gether 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.- -Another parable 31 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.

history of the Christian church powerfully illustrates this passage. The attempt of fallible men to extirpate those believed to be evil and heretical from the enclosure of the church has occasioned the frightful persecutions that darken the pages of history.

30. Let both grow together until the harvest. The mixture of good and evil in this life will probably continue unto the end. It is not within human power perfectly to distinguish between the two, Principles, men, and institutions, are all of a mottled character. Even truth, carried to extremes, becomes error, and error itself is powerful, because it has in it a tincture of truth. Characters are so complex, and the roots of good and evil are so matted and interlaced together, that men cannot always know their own hearts accurately; how much less the heart of another, though an intimate friend! and how much less still that of a stranger, or a body of those comparatively strangers! What perfect folly and wickedness, then, for fallible man harshly to judge others! A charitable heart will rather construe all favorably, thinking no evil, hoping for the best, and willing that all should grow together until the harvest, rather than rashly tear up the evil, perhaps at the expense of the good, and what is perhaps itself good.-Gather ye together, &c. This indicates, that, although the present state is a mixed one of good and bad, there is a time of distinction between them, nearer or more remote, approaching,

In the mean time, to those who are impatient of evil, and would violently root it out, may be applied the language of God, as it is represented to have been addressed to Abraham, in the celebrated modern apologue, in which the patriarch is described as driving an idolater from his hospitality into the wilderness: "I have borne with him one hundred years, and canst not thou bear with him a single night?" For the interpretation of this parable, see verses 37-43.

31, 32. See Mark iv. 30—32, Luke xiii. 18, 19.

31. Another parable. The object of this and the following parable is to show that his spiritual kingdom, from small beginnings, would dilate with a mighty expansion. Both in the individual soul and in the world at large, its commencement would be insignificant, but its growth vast and indefinite.-A grain of mustard seed. This was so small as to be proverbial for its littleness. Mat. xvii. 20. See also the next verses. This is not the plant known amongst us by this name, but the mustard tree, not annual, but living and growing several years. How sublime was the faith of Christ in the power of his gospel! For, though small, it contains the germs of a wondrous and mighty growth. "It grew silently, but it grew rapidly. It was of God, therefore it flourished. Beginning in an origin so obscure that the world looked with contempt upon its pretensions, coming forth from a mechanic's abode in the despised city of Naza

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