XLIX. Jefus preaches the parabolical fermon, befide the fea of Galilee. The parable of the fower. The reafon why be taught the people by parables. The interpretation of the parable of the fower. The parable of the lighted lamp. Matt. xiii. 1,— 23. Mark iv. 1,-25. Luke viii. 4,-18. Ir feems the calumnies of the Pharifees had not the effect intended; for the crowd was now become fo great, that neither the houfe nor the court before it could contain the people that came. Jefus therefore carried them out to the fea-fide, and taught them. Matt. xiii. 1. The fame day went Jefus out of the boufe, and fat by the fea-fide. And because there were many still coming and going, he judged it neceffary to enter into a boat, for the conveniency of being heard and feen by all, which he might eafily be, if the shore thereabouts was fomewhat circular and declining, after the manner of an amphitheatre. 2. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, (Luke viii. 4. Much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city) fo that he went into a fhip and fat, (Mark, fat in the fea) and the whole multitude ftood on the fhore, (Mark, was by the fea on the land). Thus commodiously feated in the veffel, he delivered many doctrines of the highest importance, wifely making choice of fuch for the subject of his fermons, when he had the greatest number of hearers, because on those occafions there was a probability of doing the moft good by them. Mark iv. 2. And be taught them many things by parables. He began with the parable of the fower, who caft his feed on different foils, which according to their natures brought forth either plentifully, or fparingly, or none at all. By this fimilitude he reprefented the different kind of hearers, with the diffe rent effects which the doctrines of religion have upon them, according to their different difpofitions. In fome thefe doctrines are fuppreffed altogether; in others they produce the fruits of righteoufnefs, more or lefs, according to the goodness of their hearts. A parable of this kind was highly feasonable, now that the multitude fhewed fuch an itching defire of hearing Chrift's fermons, while perhaps they neglected the end for which they ought to have heard them. Mark iv. 2. And faid unto them in bis doctrine, i. e. in the course of his teaching, 3. Hearken, bebold there went out a fower to fow. 4. And it came to pass as be fowed, fome fell by the way-fide, which being hard beaten, the feed could not enter, (Luke, and it was trodden down, i. e. bruifed by the feet of travellers) and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5. And fome fell on ftony ground, (Matt. ftony places) ground that lay upon a rock, (Luke, and fome fell upon a rock) where it had not much earth, either above it to retard its fpringing, or under it to nourish its roots, and immediately it fprang up, because it had no depth of earth. (Luke, And as foon as it was fprung up) 6. But when the fun was up, or fhone hot upon it, it, viz. the tender blade, was fcorched, and becaufe it had no root, (Luke, because it lacked moisture) it withered away. 7. And fome fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, (Luke, with it) fo as to cover it from the fun and dews, 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 fome thirty, (Matt. thirty fold) and fome fixty, and fome an hundred feeds for one that was fown. 9. And he said unto them, (Luke, And when he had faid these things, he cried) He that bath ears to hear, let him bear. See on Matt. xi. F5. § 42. It seems the apoftles, and others who were in the boat with Jefus, did not understand the meaning of his parable. Wherefore, when they heard him cry at the conclufion of it, "He that hath ears to hear let him hear," they were fo displeased, that they went up and asked him why he spake in fuch obfcure terms? and defired him to explain what he had delivered. Mark fays they came to him when he was alone, iv. 10. And when be was alone, they that were about him with the twelve, afked of him the parable. Moft harmony-writers, thinking this inconfident with the acknowledged circumftances of the history, have fuppofed that the interpretation of the parable was not given now, but on fome other occafion, though for the fake of perfpicuity it is related along with the parable. Yet the nature of the thing, as well as the teftimony of Matthew, ver. 10. proves fufficiently that the question which occafioned this interpretation was put immediately after the parable was delivered. For the queftion took its rife from the concluding words of the parable, He that bath ears to hear let him hear; which were no fooner pronounced than the difciples came from their feveral ftations in the veffel, and asked the reason why he fpake in parables, fince he defired his hearers to understand what he said. To remove this difficulty therefore we may fuppofe, that in addreffing Jefus, the difciples fpake with fuch a tone of voice as they used in converfation, and that Jefus answered them on the fame key; so that the people upon the shore not hearing distinctly what paffed, Jefus and his difciples were to all intents and pur pofes * Ver. 8. And fome an hundred.] The fruitfulness of the feed that was fown on good ground, is not to be understood of the field's producing a hundred times as much as was fown on it; but it is to be understood of a fingle feed's producing a hundred grains, which it might easily do where it met with a good foil, and was properly nourished. But there are many accidents by which the produce of a field, fo rich as to be capable of nourifhing a bundred grains by a fingle root, is reduced within ordinary bounds. The parable mentions fome of them. Part of the feed is trodden down by paffengers, part is picked up by birds, part is ftarved in bad foil among rocks, and part is choked by weeds; fo that the hundred fold increafe of a fingle feed, mentioned in the parable, is perfectly just. pofes alone. Or after finishing the parable, he might as on former occafions of this kind, (Luke v. 1. 3.) order his difciples to thruft out a little farther from the land, that the people might bave time to confider what they had heard. And the difciples embracing this opportunity, might speak to him in private concerning the manner of his preaching. Either of these fuppofitions, if I am not mistaken, fully comes up to the import of Mark's phrase, " And when he was alone, they that were about him," &c. See Luke ix. 18. for a fimilar expreffion. The anfwer which Jefus returned to the difciples, who blamed him for teaching the people by parables, is very remarkable. Matt. xiii. 10. And the difciples came and faid unto him, Why fpeakeft thou to them in parables? 11. He anfwered and faid unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of beaven, but to them (Mark, that are without, rast, the people out of the veffel, the multitude on the fhore. See used in a fimilar sense in the history of Peter's denial of his master, Matt. xxvi. 69. § 136.) it is not given. (Mark, All these things are done in parables.) I may explain to you the nature of the Meffiah's kingdom, and the other difficult doctrines of the gospel, because you are able to hear them, but I may not deal fo with the multitude, who are obftinate to fuch a degree, that they will not hear any thing contrary to their prejudices and paffions. For I must act agreeably to the rule by which the divine favours are difpenfed. Matth. xiii. 12. For whoforver bath, to him shall be given, and be fhall have more abundance: *but whosoever bath not, from bim fhall be taken away, even that he hath Our Lord did not mean that he was by any direct and immediate agency of his, going to deprive the people of the knowledge they had already obtained, because they had mifimproved it. But that as perfons who defpise the advantages bestowed on them, are often deprived of those advantages, fo the Jews having mifimproved and misunderstood the revelation of God's will already made to them, were on that account deprived of fuch a full and plain declaration of the doctrines of the gospel, as they might otherwise have enjoyed. They were altogether unworthy of fuch a favour. Befides, they had rendered themselves incapable of it. This fenfe of the paffage is confirmed by the subsequent clause. 13. There fore fpeak I to them in parables: because they seeing, fee not; and bearing, they bear not, neither do they understand. I fpeak to them in parables, because their ftupidity is fo grofs, and their prejudices fo numerous, that though they have capacities proper for Ver. 12. But whosoever bath not, from him shall be taken away, even that be bath.] We have an expreffion in Juvenal parallel to the latter claule of this verle, Sat. iii. ver. 208, 209. Nil habuit Codius Perdidit infelix nil -et tamen illud for understanding and receiving my doctrine, they will neither understand nor receive it, if I fpeak in plain terms. Here therefore our Lord declares, that the blindnefs of the Jews was the reason of his teaching them by parables, and not his teaching them by parables the reafon of their blindness. Having thus fhewed his difciples what it was that made him give the people instruction in an indirect way by figures, he added, This needs not be a matter of furprise to you, for Ifaiah has long ago predicted it, ch. vi. 9. 14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Efaias, which faith, By hearing ye shall bear, and fhall not understand; and feeing ye shall fee, and shall not perceive. Ακοη αποσατε, "Ye fhall hear with hearing " is a well known Hebrailm, fignifying the certainty of the matter to which it is ap→ plied. For this kind of repetition, according to the genius of the Jewish language, is the ftrongeft manner of affirmation *. The prophet's meaning therefore is, that the Jews fhould certainly hear the doctrines of the gofpel without understanding them, and fee the miracles which confirmed these doctrines without perceiving the finger of God in them; not because the evidences of the gospel, whether external or internal, were infufficient to eftablish it, but because the corruption, of their hearts hindered them from difcerning those evidences. 15. For this people's heart is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull of bearing, and their eyes they have clofed, left at any time they should fee with their eyes, and bear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. In the prophecy, this paffage is fomewhat differently worded. "Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and fee ye indeed, but perceive not; make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed." In the original language, a fat heart is a metaphorical expreffion, denoting a proud, fenfual, ftubborn difpofition. Thus, Deut. xxxii. 15. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked." Pfal. cxix. 70. "Their heart is as fat as grease." In like manner, beavy ears and blind eyes fignify the ftrongest averfion to hear or fee what is contrary to one's inclination. But the difficulty lies principally in the form of the expreffion: "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and fhut their eyes left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears," &c. This form is peculiar to the prophe tical *Thus, Gen. ii. 17. In the day thou eatefi thereof, dying thou shalt die, i.e. fhalt furely die. See the marginal tranflation. Acts iv. 17 THẦN απειλησωμεθα, με will feverely threaten them. Alta v. 18. 8 παραγγέλια παι enyyeinzu, did we not ftraitly charge you? Luke xxii 15. With defire have I defired, i. e. I have greatly defired to cat this possover with you, before 1 Suffer. tical writings, implying no more but an order to the prophet, fimply to foretel that the Jews fhould make their own hearts hard, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, left they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and be converted and healed. They would fhut their eyes against the miracles, and their ears against the doctrines of the gospel, as if they were afraid of being converted and healed. I prove this to be the true folution, by Jer. i. 9. "Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord faid unto me, Behold I have put my word in thy mouth; fee I have this day fet thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out and pull down, and to destroy and throw down, and to build, and to plant." That is, I have appointed thee to prophefy concerning nations and kingdoms, that they fhall be rooted out, pulled down, deftroyed, &c. Thus alfo, Ezek. xliii. 3. "According to the vision that I saw, when I came to destroy the city," i. e. came to prophefy that the city should be defroyed, as it is in the margin of the English Bible. And to mention no more examples, the chief butler giving Pharaoh an account of Jofeph's interpretation of his dream, and of that of the chief baker, fays, (Gen. xli. 13.) "Me he reftored unto mine office, and him he hanged." This prophecy therefore, and its citation, are exactly the fame; only the prophecy reprefents the thing as to happen, make the heart of this people fat, whereas the citation reprefents it as already come to pafs, this people's heart is waxed grofs, &c. This people have made themfelves fo wicked and proud, that they will neither hear nor fee any thing oppofite to their lufts, in fo much, that they look as if they were refolved not to be converted *. But it must not be concealed, that Mark and *This interpretation of the prophecy, and of its application made by Matthew, is confirmed by the prophet himfelf." Then faid I, Lord, how long? How long am I to make the heart of this people fat? To what length of time shall I foretel that their blindness will continue?" And he anfwered, Till the cities be wafted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly defolate. They are to continue from this time forth blind and hardened, till God's judgments deftroy them as a nation. This happened about forty years after Chrift's death, when the Romans destroyed Jerufalem, burnt the temple, and put an end to the conftitution. And though in the prophecy it be foretold that the blindness of the Jews was to continue till the period, the expreffion does not imply that it was then to end. See on Matt.i. 25. §7 p. 33. Their blindnels ftill continues as before, and it proceeds too from the fame caufe; namely, their obftiuate attachment to the inftitutions of Mofes, which has ever filled their minds with unconquerable prejudices against the gospel. The interpretation of the prophecy offered above, is confirmed alfo by the fubjects of the parables, to which our Lord applied this prophecy. For had he told the Jews plainly, what he told them in an obfcure manner by the parable of the fower, namely, that a principal part of the Meffiah's of fice was to inflil the doctrines of true religion into the minds of men, and that the chief effect of his power on earth should be, to let them free from the |