drawing them to repentance.

But your difpofitions 16. 17.

are of a different kind: therefore you are bleffed with a revelation of thofe things, which patriarchs and prophets have defired in vain to fee and hear.

22.

With regard to the parable of the fower, continued 18. 19: Jefus, the beaten path represents thofe, whofe hard, impenitent hearts would not fuffer the word to enter. The fhallow foil spread over a rock, holds out fuch, 20, 21. as, on hearing the truth, receive it eagerly, and feem in earnest; but, perfecution arifing, like a fcorching fun, they fall away. Again, the weedy ground represents those, who endeavour to accommodate their religion to the world: but the pleasures and cares of life generally prevail, and choke the better part, Lastly, the good foil is an emblem of those, in whom the gospel takes firm rooting; and, having no ob ftruction, gives a copious produce.

Jefus ftill continuing his difcourfe to the people, illuftrated the future ftate of the gofpel under the following fimilitude. - A husbandman, faid he, fowed good feed in his field; among which his ene

23.

24.

25.

23. The wicked lives of Chriflians are fometimes urged as an argument against Chriftianity; but fo unjustly, that, in fact, the wicked lives of Chriftians are an argument of its truth. Here is a parable, defcribing the future times of the gofpel, (which may therefore be confidered as prophetic) from which it seems to appear, (though the underparts of a parable fhould not be interpreted too closely) that three parts out of four of mankind will reject its falutary influence.

24. St. Matthew reprefents the difciples as breaking in upon our Saviour's difcourfe to the people; which he probably does with a view of placing the parable and the explanation of it together. But we find from St. Mark, that Jesus was alone when the disciples asked the explanation.

VOL. I.

E

my

26.

my fcattered tares in the night. The mischief at first was unperceived; but the corn no fooner grew. 27. 28. up, than the tares appeared alfo. The fervants of the 29. 30. husbandman wifhed them to be weeded out. But he forbad it; faying, Let them alone at prefent. Let all be reaped together at harvest; and I will then order the reapers to bind the tares and the corn in feparate bundles the one to be burned, the other to be laid in my granary.

31. 32.

33.

34. 35.

úp

In another parable, Jefus illuftrated the progress of the Christian religion: It is like a grain, faid he, of mustard-seed, which when fown, is among the least of all feeds; but its growth is more prodigious than that of any other; inafmuch as it becomes a tree, and affords fhelter even to the fowls of the air. The fame representation, carried fomewhat farther, Jefus gave under another fimilitude. The gospel, faid he, is like a fmall portion of leaven, which, being covered with a large quantity of meal, is not feen at first; but beginning to ferment, by degrees fpreads over the whole mass.

Thus Jefus inftructed the people, as they were able to bear inftruction; and thus fulfilled the prophecy of the Pfalmist, I will open my mouth in parables; I

32. In eaftern countries this plant grows to an enormous fize. 33. This parable may be confidered as a kind of prophecy, that the gofpel fhould in time overfpread the whole world; and though parables of this texture (as we have feveral of a prophetic caft) were obfcure at firft; yet on their completion, they certainly tend greatly to confirm the gofpel.

34. See Mark iv. 33.

35. Pf. lxxviii. 2.

will utter dark fayings of old.

Then difmiffing the

multitude, he retired into a house with his difciples, and, at their defire, explained to them the parable of the tares.

37.

38.

39.

40. 41.

By the fower, he told them, was meant Chriftthe field was the world-the corn reprefented good Christians the tares, finners-the enemy was the devil the harveft, the end of the world and the reapers, the angels. As the tares, therefore, were gathered up and burnt; fo, at the conclufion of all 42. 43. things, the angels fhould feparate the good from the bad; and while these fhould be condemned to a place of punishment, thofe fhould be conveyed to regions of happinefs. And let mankind, faid he, feriously attend to these great truths! The more they attend to them, the more they fhall find them the fupport of all their hopes. For the gofpel, added he, is like treasure hid in a field. He that finds it, tranfported with joy, fells all he has to purchase fo valuable a poffeffion. It is like a gem of infinite price, which 45.46. the merchant runs every risk to poffefs. And well may it be confidered of infinite price; for on it de

44.

47.48. 49. 50.

44. In the underparts of our Saviour's parables, there is fometimes the appearance of an immoral tendency; as in the commendation beltowed on the unjust fleward. Here it feems against the principles of equity for a man to conceal from the poffeffor the unknown value of a field which he had accidentally difcovered, that he might purchafe it himself at an under-price. -But we want common fenfe only as a commentator on fuch paffages as thefe. Common fenfe fhews us at once, that the inftruction is not meant to be conveyed in any of thefe under parts and trivial circumstances; but in the general fcope only of the whole parable.

pend all your hopes and fears.

It is that great net thrown into the fea, which inclofes of every kind. When it is drawn on fhore, a feparation fhall be made

-the good fhall be preferved, and the refuse deftroyed. Jefus then asked his difciples, if they 51. 52. fully understood the meaning of all he had faid? On their answering, they had; he bad them lay up then in their memory what they had heard, and imitate the prudent houfe-holder, who from his ftores produces to his guests, according to their feveral conditions, fuch things as are beft accommodated to each.

After this, Jefus leaving Capernaum, went to Nazareth; where, according to his usual custom, he 53.54.55. taught in the fynagogue. Here he was received in a 56.57.58. manner very different from what he might have expected. His countrymen, who had known him from his youth, and were blinded entirely by his earthly connections, would not acknowledge his divine original. Whence hath he obtained, faid they, this mighty wifdom? We are well acquainted with all his relations, and all the opportunities he hath had: we can never, therefore, believe that he can be the

55. His brethren. Ada has a more extenfive fenfe. among the Latins;

Frater erat, fraterna peto

Sa

58. It is reasonable to believe, that our Saviour never per formed a miracle but where he forefaw it might have a good effect in a religious light, either on the perfon on whom it was performed, or on the fpectators; thus making one act of mercy lead to another.

mighty perfon he pretends to be.Jefus told them, it was only in his own country that a prophet was received with dishonour and finding the infidelity of the people of Nazareth fuch as could not at prefent be wrought on, he left them, after performing a few miracles among them.

XIV.

By this time the fame of Jefus, having fpread CHAP. through every part of Judea, had reached the ears of Herod; who, under the terrors of a guilty confcience, 1.2.3.4. declared Jefus could be no other than John the Bap 5: tist, whom he had beheaded, and who had arisen from the dead.

This wicked prince had long lived in a state of inceft with Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for which John, with a proper freedom, had rebuked him. Herod, unable to bear what appeared to him

1. Tetrarch fignifies a prince over a fourth part of a country. This Tetrarch was the fon of Herod the Great; who was fucceeded by his three fons, Archilaus in Judæa; and Herod and Philip in the other parts of his dominions. Thus Tacitus, liberi Herodis tripartitò rexere. Hift. lib. 5. cap. 9 But ftill there is great difficulty about that Philip, who was Herodias's first hufband; as Jofephus calls him Herod. Dr. Lardner fhews (in the first vol. of his Cred.) that Herod the Great having feveral other fons, by different wives, who continued private perfons, it was probably to one of them to whom Herodias was first married; and his name (as Lardner fhews from other fimilar inftances) might be Philip Herod.

2. On comparing Matt. xvi. 6. with Mark viii. 15. it appea that Herod was a Sadducee; and of course, that he difbelieved future ftate. We have here, therefore, an inftance of (what is n very uncommon) a libertine's confcience flying in his face in de fpite of his principles.