Jesus puts forth the A. M. 4035. 31 A. D. 31. There came then his bre- || is my mother, or my brethren? A. M. 4035 thren and his mother, and, standing 34 And he looked round about without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him; and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who on them which sat about him, and said, Be hold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. 9 Matt. xii. 46; || Luke viii. 19. what is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost? Can any words declare more plainly that it is "the ascribing those miracles to the power of the devil, which Christ wrought by the power of the Holy || Ghost ?" to him, calling him—They sent one into the house, who called him aloud by name. Looking round on them who sat about him-With the utmost sweetness: he said, Behold my mother and my brethren--In this preference of his true disciples even to the Verses 31-35. There came then his brethren and Virgin Mary, considered merely as his mother after his mother-Having at length made their way the flesh, he not only shows his high and tender through the crowd, so as to come to the door. His affection for them, but seems designedly to guard brethren are here named first, as being first and against those excessive and idolatrous honours which most earnest in the design of taking him; for neither he foresaw would, in after ages, be paid to her. See did these of his brethren believe on him. They sent the notes on Matt. xii. 46–50. CHAPTER IV. · ere we have, (1,) The parable of the seed and of the four sorts of ground, 1-9; with the exposition, 10-20; and the application of it, 21-25. (2,) The parable of the seed growing gradually but insensibly, 26-29. (3,) The parable of the grain of mustard-seed, and a general account of Christ's parables, 30-34. (4,) The miracle of Christ's suddenly stilling a storm at sea, 35-44. This chapter coincides with Matt. xiii. A. D. 31. A. D. 31. 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. A. M. 4035. AND he began again to teach by || sprang up, because it had no depth A. M. 4035. the sea-side and there was ga- || of earth : thered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea, on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, band said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow. 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it a Matt. xiii. 1; Luke viii. 4. NOTES ON CHAPTER IV. Verses 1-9. And he began to teach by the seaside-See notes on Matt. xiii. 1-17. He taught them many things by parables-After the usual manner of the eastern nations, to make his instructions more agreeable to them, and to impress them the more upon attentive hearers. A parable signifies not only a simile, or comparison, and sometimes a proverb, 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, 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, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. b Chap. xii. 38.—— John xv. 5; Col. i. 6. but any kind of instructive speech, wherein spiritual things are explained and illustrated by natural. Prov. i. 6, To understand a proverb and the interpretation. The proverb is the literal sense, the interpretation is the spiritual; resting in the literal sense killeth, but the spiritual giveth life. HearkenThis word he probably spoke with a loud voice, to stop the noise and hurry of the people. f e 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way-side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have|| heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. d Matt. xiii. 10; Luke viii. 9, &c.— Le 1 Cor. v. 12; Col. iv. 5; 1 Thess. iv. 12; 1 Tim. iii. 7.—————f Isa. vi. 9; Matt. xiii. 14; Luke viii. 10; John xii. 40; Acts xxviii. 26; Rom. xi. 8. 5 Matt. xiii. 19.-1 Tim. vi. 9, 17.1 Tim. vi. 9, 17. Matt. v. 15; Luke viii. 16; xi. 33. parable of the sower. A. D. 31. 18 And these are they which are A. M. 4035. sown among thorns; such as hear the word, h 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some a hundred. k 22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. 23 1If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 24 And he saith unto them, Take heed what ye hear: m with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear, shall more be given. 25 " For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. 26 T And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 1 The word in the original signifieth a less measure, as Matt. v. 15.- k Matt. x. 26; Luke xii. 2.- Matt. xi. 15; verse 9. Matt. vii. 2; Luke vi. 38.m Matt. vii. 2; Luke vi. 38.-n Matt. xiii. 12; xxv. 29; Luke viii. 18; xix. 26. Matt. xiii. 24. 26.— —o Verses 10-12. When he was alone-That is, re- || if he had said, I explain these things to you, I give tired apart from the multitude. Unto them that are you this light, not to conceal, but to impart it to without-So the Jews termed the heathen: so our others. And if I conceal any thing from you now, Lord terms all obstinate unbelievers; for they shall || it is only that it may be more effectually manifested not enter into the kingdom; they shall abide in hereafter. Take heed what ye hear-That is, atouter darkness. So that seeing they may see, and || tend to what you hear, that it may have its due innot perceive-They would not see before; now they || fluence upon you. With what measure ye metecould not, God having given them up to the blind-|| That is, according to the improvement you make of ness which they had chosen. what you have heard, still further assistances shall Verses 13-20. Know ye not this parable-Which || be given. And to you that hear-That is, with imis, as it were, the foundation of all those that I shall || provement, shall more be given. For he that hath speak hereafter; and is so easy to be understood? -That improves whatever he has received, to the See notes on Matt. xiii. 19-23. The desires of other || good of others, as well as of his own soul. things choke the word-A deep and important truth! The desire of any thing, otherwise than as it leads to happiness in God, directly tends to barrenness of soul. Entering in-Where they were not before. Let him therefore who has received and retained the word, see that no other desire then enter in, such as perhaps till then he never knew. It becometh unfruitful-After the fruit had grown almost to perfection. Verse 26. So is the kingdom of God-The gospel dispensation, whereby God overthrows the kingdom of Satan, collects subjects to himself, and erects and establishes his own kingdom. The grace of God in the soul is also included, erecting that kingdom which is within men, and is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. xiv. 17. As if a man should cast seed into the ground-The seed of God's word a preacher of the gospel casts into the field of the Verses 21-25. And he said, Is a candle, &c.—As || world. and into the hearts of the penitent and be || Parable of the mustard-seed. A. M. 4035. ST. MARK. 27 And should sleep, and rise night || and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 30 ¶ And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. 33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. || Jesus calms the raging sea A. D. 31. 34 But without a parable spake he A. M. 4035. not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. 35 ¶ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? r Matthew xiii. 34; John xvi. 12. Matthew viii. 18, 23; Luke viii. 22. whose spring of motion is within itself. Yet, observe the amazing exactness of the comparison: the earth brings forth no corn, (as the soul no holiness,) without both the care and toil of man, and the benign influence of Heaven. When the fruit is brought forth-That is, when the corn is full and ripe; he putteth in the sickle-God cutteth down and gathereth the fruit into his garner. lieving. And sleeps and rises night and day-That || by a certain curious kind of mechanism which the is, he has it continually in his thoughts. Meantime, greatest philosophers cannot fully comprehend, does, it springs and grows up, he knows not how-Even as it were, spontaneously, without any assistance he that sowed it cannot explain how it grows. Here from men, carry the seed through the whole prowe are taught, "that as the husbandman does not, ||gress of vegetation, and produce first the blade, then by any efficacy of his own, cause the seed to grow, the ear, then the full corn in the ear; so will the but leaves it to be nourished by the soil and the sun; gospel gradually spread in the world; and so the so Jesus and his apostles, having taught men the penitent, believing soul, in an inexplicable manner, doctrines of true religion, were not by any miracu- | brings forth first weak graces, then stronger, then lous force to constrain their wills; far less were they, || full holiness: and all this of itself, as a machine by the terrors of fire and sword, to interpose visibly || for the furthering thereof, but would suffer it to spread by the secret influences of the Spirit, till at length it should obtain its full effect. Moreover, as the husbandman cannot, by the most diligent obser- || vation, perceive the corn in his field extending its dimensions as it grows, so the ministers of Christ cannot see the operation of the gospel, [and of divine grace,] upon the minds of men; the effects, however, of its operation, when these are produced, they can discern, just as the husbandman can discern when his corn is fully grown and fit for reaping. In the mean time, the design of the parable is not to lead the ministers of Christ to imagine that religion will flourish without due pains taken about it. It was formed to teach the Jews in particular, that neither the Messiah nor his servants would subdue men by the force of arms, as they supposed he would have done; and also, to prevent the apostles from being dispirited when they did not see immediate success following their labours."-Macknight. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself —Greek, avtoμarn, spontaneously. For, as the earth, || Verses 30-34. Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God, &c.-See notes on Matt. xiii. 31, 32. He spake the word unto them as they were able to hear it-Adapting it to the capacity of his hearers, and speaking as plainly as he could without offending them. A rule never to be forgotten by those who instruct others. But without a parable, &c.—See note on Matt. xiii. 34, 35. Verses 35-41. The same day, when the even was come-See note on Matt. viii. 18. They took him even as he was in the ship-They carried him immediately, in the same vessel from which he had been preaching to the people. And there arose a great storm-See note on Matt. viii. 23-27. He was asleep in the hinder part of the ship-So we trans A legion of devils cast out, A. M. 4035. A. D. 31. 41 And they feared exceedingly, || ner of man is this, that even the wind A. M. 4035. and said one to another, What man- || and the sea obey him? late the words ɛñɩ îη прνμνη, for want of a proper English expression for that particular part of the vessel near the rudder, on which he lay. Peace— Cease thy tossing; be still-Cease thy roaring. The Greek word, Tepiμwço, is, literally, Be thou gagged. CHAPTER V. In this chapter we have, (1,) Christ's casting a legion of devils out of a man possessed by them, and suffering them to enter into the swine, 1-20. (2,) His healing the woman with the bloody issue, in the way, as he was going to raise Jairus's daughter to life, 21-43. Of these three miracles we had an account before, Matt. viii. 28, &c., and ix. 18; but they are more fully related here. country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, A. D. 31. 9 And he asked him, What is thy A. M. 4035. name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mo1ntains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand,) and were choked in the sea. 14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his 16 And they that saw it told them how it a Matt. viii. 28; || Luke viii. 26. NOTES ON CHAPTER V. for them and for himself. They that fed the swine Verses 1-17. They came into the country of the fled, and told it in the city-The miracle, issuing in Gadarenes Called Gergesenes, Matt. viii. 28. Ga- the destruction of the swine, was immediately redara and Gergasa being towns near each other, and ported in the town and country by the affrighted their inhabitants, and those of the country adjacent,|| keepers, who as they fled had fallen in, it seems, taking their name indifferently from either. There || with Jesus and his company, and learned from them met him a man with an unclean spirit-Matthew the cause of what had happened. And they went mentions two. Probably this, so particularly spo- || out to see what was done-Thus the whole people ken of here, was the most remarkably fierce and ungovernable. This whole story is explained at large, Matt. viii. 28-34. My name is Legion, for we are many-But all these seem to have been under one commander, who accordingly speaks, all along, both had ocular demonstration of the power of Jesus, and were rendered inexcusable in not believing on him; and they see him that was possessed of the devil sitting-At the feet of Jesus, to receive his in||structions; and clothed-With the raiment that had A woman healed of a bloody issue. ST. MARK. Jairus, a ruler, applies to Jesus. A. M. 4035. befell to him that was possessed with || and was nothing bettered, but rather A. M. 4035. A. D. 31. the devil, and also concerning the grew worse, swine. b A. D. 31. 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the 17 And they began to pray him to depart out press behind, and touched his garment: of their coasts. 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him. And all men did marvel. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. h 23 And besought him greatly, saying, My 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, b Matt. viii. 34; Acts vi. 39.— — Luke viii. 38.d Matt. ix. 1; Luke viii. 40. e Matt. ix. 18; Luke viii. 41.————f Lev. xv. been given him; and in his right mind-Perfectly 35 ¶ While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 25; Matt. ix. 20.- Luke vi. 19; viii. 46.- h the Lord hath done for thee-This was peculiarly needful there, where Christ did not go in person. He began to publish in Decapolis, &c.-Not only at home, but in all that country where Jesus himself did not come. Verses 22-28. There cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue-Probably that at Capernaum. The rulers of the synagogue were three persons chosen out of ten, who were obliged constantly to attend the public worship over which they presided, and determined such disputes as happened in the synagogue. For an explanation of this whole paragraph, see notes on Matt. ix. 18-26. Verses 18-20. He that had been possessed, prayed that he might be with him-To enjoy the further benefit of his instructions. Perhaps he feared lest, if Jesus left him, he should relapse into his former Verses 29, 30. She felt in her body that she was condition, the terrors of which he dreaded. How- || healed of that plague-Or distemper, with which she beit, Jesus suffered him not-Judging it proper to had been chastised; for this is the plain meaning of leave him in that country as a witness of the power the word μaçıyos here used, which properly means and goodness of his deliverer, and of the folly and a stroke, scourge, or correction. And Jesus turned wickedness of these Gadarenes, who rejected such || about in the press, and said, Who touched, &c.—The a Saviour. Go home to thy friends-To thy rela- || woman, having obtained her wish, would have retions and neighbours; and tell them how great things || tired unobserved: but Jesus, who had secretly per |