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they see Hypocrites and evil Men in the Church, with that they could all be caft out, and that the Church might confift only of fincere Members.

29, & 30. But the Huf bandman answered, No; Left while ye are weeding out the Tares, ye pluck up also the Wheat with them; But let them alone till Harvest, and ・then I will order my Reapers to pick out the Tares first and burn them, and then gather the Wheat into my Barn: Thus God has not made Provifion to have all forts of evil Men caft out of the

Church, left weak and good Men fhould fuffer with them; neither doth he always in this World fend publick Judgments upon the Wicked, left the Innocent be involved in the Calamity together: But at the end of the World, he will by his Angels feparate the good and fincere Men from the Wicked and the Hypocrites; and then he will

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31 Another pa

rable put he forth

unto them, faying,

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustardfeed,which a man took and fow

ed in his field.

32 Which indeed is the leaft of all feeds: but when it is grown,it is the greateft among herbs, and becometh a tree: fo that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

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exactly reward the one, and punish the other.

31, 32. Again, another Parable fpake Jefus to the People, and faid; 4 Huf bandman fowed in bis Field a grain of Mustard-feed; which when it was fown, was one of the leaft of Seeds; but when it grew up, it became a Spreading Tree, big enough for the Birds to build their Nefts in its Boughs: Thus the Gofpel of Chrift at its first appearing, feems mean and contemptible, received only by a few, and those mean Perfons; but in time it shall spread over all the Earth; and that Doctrine which the Jews now despise and reject, fhall be em braced and flourish among all the Nations of the Gentiles.

33. ¶ Alfo he fpake another Parable to the fame import, faying; A woman took a little Leaven, and covered it up in three Bushels of Meal and when it had lain there a while, the whole

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bad received the tincture of the Leaven throughout: Thus the Religion of Christ,which now begins to be taught amongst Men, shall by the Power and Evidence of Truth, fpread it self in time through all the Nations of the World.

34. ¶ All these Parables did Jefus fpeak to the Peo ple, telling them the bare Similitude only, without adding the Explication.

35. So that hereby he literally fulfilled that Saying of the Prophet, Pfalm 78. 2. I will open my mouth in Parables; I will utter dark Sayings of old.

36. But when the Multitude were difmiffed, he entered into a House with his Disciples; and there they defired him to explain to them what was meant by the Parable of the Tares

fpringing up up among the

Wheat.

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34 All these things fpake Jefus unto the

multitude in parables, and without a

parable spake he not

unto them.

35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will

utter things which have been kept se

cret from the foundation of the world.

36 Then Jefus fent the multitude a

way, and went into

the house: and his difciples came unto him, faying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

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37. And then he told them, how by the Husbandman was meant Chrift, or any other Preacher of the Gofpel under him.

38. That by the Field, was to be understood the World; by the good Seed fown in the Ground, good Chriftians, or true and fincere Members of the Church of Chrift; and by Tares fpringing up among the Wheat, wicked Men and Hypocrites crept into the Church.

39. That by the Enemy who fowed the Tares, was meant the Devil, by the Harvest, the Day of Judg ment; and by the Reapers, the Angels of God.

40. Laftly, That as in the time of Harveft the Tares were pickt out from among the Wheat, and caft into the Fire and burnt :

41, 42. So at the Day of Judgment, Chrift should send out his Angels; and they should feparate all wicked Men and Hypocrites and falle

Teachers

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Teachers and impenitent Sinfincere Men; and should caft ners, from among good and them into Hell, the place of the execution of God's final Vengeance, where they should be tormented for ever with fruitless Repentance and neverceafing Woe.

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43. And then, added be, fhall the righteous be crowned with immortal Glory, and shall enjoy unfpeakable Happiness in the prefence of God Whoever is capa ble and defirous to be inftructed, let him obferve what I fay.

44. Jefus added moreover another Parable, and faid; As a Man that findeth a great Treasure in a Field, goeth with much joy, and fel leth all that he bath, and buy eth that Field: So true Religion and Piety is fuch a Treasure, for the attainment of which a Man ought to be willing to part with all things in the World.

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