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"The word of the kingdom,"-The Gospel of the New Dispensation.

Understandeth it not" =

not admit it to his heart."

"mindeth it not," i.e., " does

"Yet hath he not root in himself,”"-i.e., the word is not deeply rooted in his mind, or, he has not sufficient strength of principle.

Is offended,"-stumbles, and falls away into apostasy. "The care of this world,"―earthly ambition.

"Understandeth" = minds, i.e., admits to his heart. Luke makes Christ describe these hearers as those who hear the word "in an honest and good heart."

The simple purport of this parable is to shew the various results, in different minds, of hearing the Gospel.

Christ expounds the Parable of the Tares.
(AT CAPERNAUM,-
‚—IN THE HOUSE.)

(c. xiii. 36.)

"And his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

"And his disciples," &c.-It is evident, on comparing this statement with Mark's, that, when in the house, the disciples came, and asked for an interpretation of both the Parable of the Sower, and that of the Wheat and Tares.

"The children of the kingdom,"-true Christians.

"The children of the wicked one,"—the ungodly, generally.

"All things that offend,"-all persons occasioning others to err,-i.e., false teachers.

"A furnace of fire,"—" not a material, but a metaphorical one, denoting the wrath of God."

"Who hath ears," &c.-A common proverbial expression in Scripture. It is an earnest call to the attention, and to the impartial exercise of the understanding, on the part of those addressed. It is expressive, also, of the speaker's authority.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Draw-Net, (with its Interpretation).

(AT CAPERNAUM,-
‚—IN THE HOUSE.)

(c. xiii. 44-52.)

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

So

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."

These three Parables are related by Matthew alone.

"Treasure hid in a field."—It was a common practice in

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ancient times, during seasons of war or political convulsion, to bury valuables in the earth. Such "treasure was considered amongst the Jews to belong to the owner of the ground, whence the eagerness to buy the "field" attributed by Christ to the finder.

"A merchant man," '—a travelling dealer in jewels and precious stones, such as were common in the E.

"Pearl."-Pearls were, in ancient times, the most costly and valued of all ornaments.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price are intended to shew

1. The inestimable value of the Gospel and its blessings ("the kingdom of heaven").

2. The eagerness and joy with which a sinner convinced of their value will renounce all his sins, his evil companions, and his self-righteousness,-in short, everything,-to be possessed of salvation.

"A net,"'-a_draw-net, called by English fishermen seine, or sean. It is sometimes nearly a mile long.

The net that Christ saw Simon and Andrew casting into the sea was the casting-net,-in form like the top of a tent, and comparatively very small.

"The bad" the refuse.

The meaning of the Parable of the Draw Net is that there will be in the visible Church on earth a mixture of true and false Christians; but that at Christ's coming to judgment a separation, and that final, will take place.

"Scribe,"-teacher.

The term is here transferred from the Jewish religion to the Christian.

"Which is instructed," &c.,-i.e., who understands the Gospel Dispensation.

"An householder,”—the head of a household.

"Treasure,"-stores.

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Things new and old,"-wines, fruits, &c., some of this year, and others older.

So the Christian teacher, who fully understands the Gospel, will set before his disciples spiritual food of varied abundance, from New, and Old, Testament alike.

Christ gives orders to depart to the other Side. (AT CAPERNAUM.)

(c. xiii. 53 : viii. 18–22.)

"And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."

"Nests,"-perches.

"Son of man," the first time Christ applies this title to Himself. It is a Hebrew phrase expressive of humiliation. It occurs in the Gospels 61 times, and is there used by Himself alone.

"Let the dead bury their dead,”—i.e., “Let the spiritually dead bury the naturally dead.”

Christ embarks, to cross the Lake: He stills the Storm.

(c. viii. 23-27.)

"And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

Matt., Mark, and Luke narrate this incident, mainly agreeing.

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Mark adds "there were also with him other little ships; that He was asleep " on a pillow," "in the hinder part of the ship;" and that He said," Peace! Be still" !

Mark and Luke make His reproach come after, instead of before, the stilling of the tempest.

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66 A great tempest.”—The term used by Mark and Luke a hurricane, and is most suitable, for this Sea is liable to the most violent, and yet most sudden and unexpected, hurri

canes.

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Lord."-Mark makes them exclaim "Teacher"! and Luke, "Master"! This is to be explained by the fact that different disciples used different names, or that the Syriac word used may be represented by several Greek vocables.

"There was a great calm,”— "-a proof of the reality of the miracle; for after a storm the sea is never instantly smooth.

The remarks of the disciples to one another, "What manner," &c., shew what a poor and weak conception theirs was, as yet, of Christ.

Christ dispossesses two Demoniacs on the
other side.

(E. OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.)

(c. viii. 28-33.)

"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every

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