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of God, saying: The time is accomplished, and the reign of the highest heaven draws nigh: Change your minds, and believe the Gospel. And his fame spread abroad, through all the surrounding country; and he taught in their synagogues,* with universal applause.

effected for admission into the Upper Sanctuary, the abode of Spirits made perfect.

* Synagogues are so frequently mentioned, in the New Testament, that a description of them becomes necessary. The Greek word avvaywyn, as well as the Hebrew to which it answers, significs in general, any assembly, holy or profane; but, most commonly it denotes a place of worship. The Christians themselves, often gave the name Synagogue to their assemblies and places of worship, as appears from James ii. 2, the Epistles of Ignatius, and the writings of Clemens of Alexandria. It is not easy to determine, when the use of Synagogues began among the Jews: They are first mentioned, Ps. Ixxiv. 8, and allusions seem to be made to them in the Sixth Chapter of Judith; but, probably, they did not exist before the time of the Babylonian captivity.--It is, however, certain they have been long in use, since James says, Acts xv. 21; Moses of old time, has in every city them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath.

The chief things belonging to a Synagogue, were, 1. The Ark, in which was deposited the book of the Law; which was placed in that part of the Synagogue which looked towards the holy land, the temple, or holy of holies. 2. A pulpit, in which he stood, who read or expounded the Law. 3. Common seats or pews for the people, and chief seats for the Elders, who sat with their back towards the Ark, and their faces to the Congregation. The women sat alone, in a gallery. 4. Lamps fixed to the walls, or, suspended from the ceilings for ornament, and to give light at the evening service. 5. Rooms or apartments for the utensils of the Synagogue, such as trumpets and alms chests.

The Officers of the Synagogue, were, 1. A Council of grave persons, well versed in the Law, over whom one presided, called ruler of the Synagogue. But, as all these elders were engaged in the government of the Synagogue, they are sometimes called rulers, chiefs, bishops, fathers. They possessed authority to teach and rule the people; and even to punish by censures, excommunications, fines, and scourgings. They taught the people themselves, or, appointed others to do so; hence, the apostles obtained leave of the rulers, to address the people, Acts xiii. 15. The manner of teaching was by dispute, conference, or a continued discourse like a Sermon. Teaching in any of these ways, they called, DARASCH, searching; the discourse, DARSCHAN, a search; and the preacher, DERASCH, a searcher

SECTION FOURTEENTH.

PARABLE OF THE SOWER.*

Now it came to pass, that as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, and the multitude was pressing on him to hear the doctrine of God, he saw two vessels on the edge of the Lake, but the fishermen having gone out of them, were washing nets. Then Jesus went aboard one of them which belonged to Simon, and entreated him to put a little from the land; and sitting down in the vessel, he taught the

* This is one of the most important, interesting and beautiful of our Master's discourses. Nothing in the whole volume of divine revelation, conveys to the mind, more certain and awful truths, than this prophetic description of the reception, influence, and effects of the Gospel among men. God and divine providence are justified, in the sower and seed. The sower is the Son of Man, Jesus from the highest heaven, clothed with divine authority, and full of grace, and truth, and love for mankind. The seed is the word of God. The pure, unadulterated, eternal truth which Jehovah sent down, as living bread from heaven, that it might give life to the world. The sower, without partiality, scatters the good seed on all the ground, whether the soil be stony, thorny, shallow, or good. God is good to all, and wills that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. But alas! what follows? Here and there are found parcels of good land, which watered by the dews and gentle rains of heaven, become productive, and yield fruit that shall endure forever. But there a portion of stony ground that can afford no moisture or suitable soil, for the seed to take root or grow. There another piece of ground, more disposed to produce weeds and brambles than a useful and expected harvest. High way-hearers obtain the seed easily, and part with it freely. Poverty and care are thorns to the poor, and fashion and fame to the rich. Great God! how much of this earth is cursed on account of barrenness, and hence forsaken and abandoned to be burnt. Let hearers of the Gospel reflect on these things. By a careful hearing, and affectionate reception of God's word, with ardent prayer, that it may yield the peaceful fruits of righteousness, God may send his refreshing showers and cause them to appear as a field which the Lord has blessed.

There is one thing worthy of all consideration: The fowls of hea ven devour much of the seed. These are Satan and his allies, evi spirits, wicked men, unbelievers, especially deists, and, I might add, sceptics, and indifferent persons, who all combine to take away

multitude, who remained on the shore, preaching his doctrine to them by parable.* Hearken: Behold! a Sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and was trodden under foot, and devoured by the fowls of heaven. Other seed fell on rocky places, where it had not much mould, and sprang up immediately; because it had no depth of earth. But when the Sun arose, it was scorched; and having no root and lacking moisture, it withered away. Some fell among thorns, but the thorns grew up with it, and choked it. And other

the seed and render the hearers of God's word barren and unfruitful. From all such beings, be it our ardent and continual prayer: Good Lord deliver us!

It

*The word wagabon parable, properly means an allegorical similitude or comparison, serving, by a figurative or poetical representation, to render the description more animated, interesting, and curious. Personification seems essential to parable, which should always involve the notion of animated and rational existence. differs from Example, by partaking of similitude, and from Allegory, by being true and applicable, only in the general scope, but vague and inexplicable, in the particulars. It is essential to Allegory, that all its principal terms should bear a double sense, and be true and suitable, both literally and figuratively: but in Parable, we must remember the advice of Maimonides: "Fix on the grand object of the parable, without attempting an explanation of particulars." He who would undertake to explain what is implied by the ring, the shoes, the music, and the dancing, in the parable of the Prodigal, would manifest more clearly, puerility of fancy, than soundness of judgment.

The Greek word, agabon Parable has all the extent of signification in the New Testament, that the Hebrew word mashal, has in the Old. It often signifies a forcible or weighty saying or moral maxim without including the notion of comparison. See page 117. The English translators sometimes render it Comparison, Mark 4. 30. Other places they call it proverb, Luke 4. 23; and elsewhere, they give it the appellation of figure, implying similitude or representation. Heb. 9. 9. Indeed the word, parable, implies Comparison, Similtude, Allegory, or any saying that is ancient, obscure, proverbial, or powerful and weighty, and should be so rendered according to circumstances, or as the context requires.

The method of instructing by Parable, Allegory, Smilitude, Fable, or Apologue was very common, and highly esteemed by all the

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seed fell on good ground, and growing and increasing, yielded fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold. Having said these things, he cried: Whoever has an ear to hear, let him hear.

And when he was in private, the disciples and those who were present asked him: What may this parable mean? Then he answered: Know ye not this parable? How then will ye understand all parables? Hear ye, therefore, the parable of the Sower. The Seed is the word of God. Those in whom the word is sown by the way-side, are they who

ancient, especially Asiatic, nations. No scheme of Rhetoric, says Lightfoot, was more familiar among the Jews, than that of parable. As an interesting representation of truth, parables were of great use by the prophets and ancient teachers. Wise men uttered their sentiments in parables, to which exercise the fool was unable to attain, Prov. xxvi. 7. In parables, Jotham showed the Shechemites their folly in the choice of Abimelech ; Nathan conveyed reproof to David, 2 Sam. xii, 1-4; and Jeremiah and Ezekiel showed the rejection of Israel by a boiling pot and basket of figs, Jeremiah i. 13, and xxiv. 2, 3; Ezekiel xxiv. 3-5. In our Saviour's time, the method of instructing by parable, was very common, and he appears to have carried it to the highest perfection. His parables of the Sower, Wheat, Mustard-seed, Hid treasure, Leaven, Barren fig-tree, Prodigal Son, Rich man, Vineyard, Marriage feast, Talents, and Samaritan, are unrivalled in beauty, utility and excellence. Hence, Commentators are greatly mistaken, who either imagine or teach, that Christ adopted this method, to prevent the Jews from understanding his doctrine. The Evangelist says, Christ spoke to them in parables, as they were able to hear. That is, he was as plain as the circumstances would admit. But that this parable was intelligible, and intended by our Lord to be understood, is evident from the gentle reproof given to the disciples, when they asked the meaning of it: Know ye not this parable? How then will ye know all parables? In the location of this section, I have ventured to deviate from the path of all preceding Harmonizers; and here present to the reader the parable of the Sower, as the first discourse delivered in a bark, by the shore of the sea of Galilee, near Capernaum. Two Evangelists give notice of this discourse, but do not formally relate what Christ said at that time: yet we cannot think that a sermon delivered to so great a multitude, and followed by so remarkable events, as the draught of fishes, and the call of four eminent Apostles (two of whom were afterward engaged in transmitting the Gospel to future ages) would have been suffered to fall into oblivion. The nature of

hear, but understand not the word of the reign, ther comes the deceiver and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They who receive the seed in rocky places are those who on hearing the word, receive it joyfully; but having no root in them endure only for a season; and in time of trial, when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, they instantly take offence and fall away. They who receive the seed among thorns, are those who hear the word, but the anxious cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and inordinate desires of other things, choke the word; and it bears no fruit to perfection. But they who receive seed on good ground, are they who, hearing and understanding the word, receive it in an honest and good heart; and holding it fast, patiently bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold.

this parable, and the season of the year, when leaving Nazareth, Jesus preached the second discourse of his ministry, on the shore of the Lake, perfectly agree; seeing not more than a week had elapsed from the time he opened his Commission, on his arrival in Galilee from Samaria. The season was Seed-time, and the discourse was about Sowing The parable is admirably and prophetically descriptive of the reception and success of his Gospel in the world; and very appropriate, as an inaugural sermon, when entering on his own public office, he was that day about solemnly to call into the labour of the sacred ministry, two of his most distinguished Apostles.

It cannot be denied, that Matthew and Luke have, at least on some occasions, followed the usual method of historians, in the classification of subjects, without regard to the order of time. Thus Luke narrates the imprisonment of John in connexion with his first public preaching, even before the baptism of Christ; though John describes the Baptist and Jesus baptizing near Salem, some months afterwards. In the same manner Matthew collects a summary of our Lord's moral discourses, and hastens, without regard to chronological order, to lay them before his Jewish reader, as if they had been all delivered on one occasion: though several parts of the sermon on the mount, are related by Luke, as the sayings, and discourses of Christ on different occasions. So likewise, in the thirteenth chapter, Matthew collects a number of parables, very dissimilar in their nature; and which, following the rule, so highly approved by Sir Isaac Newton, Whiston, and Newcome, were not spoken on the same occasion, nor at the same season of the year.

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