with freedom, variety, and spirit, to bring forth good and profitable things from the good treasure of our hearts; which may be edifying unto those that hear us, and may go from one heart to another. So will the Lord himself hearken with pleasure unto what we speak, and exactly record it in the book of remembrance that is written before him; and, producing it at last to our public honour, will own us for his in the day when he makes up his jewels.

SECTION LXIII.

The perverseness of the Pharisees in asking a further sign. The parable of the relapsing demoniac. MATT. xii. 38-45. LUKE Xii. 16, 24-26, 29-32.

TH

HEN some of the Scribes and Pharisees answered him, and, with a view to try him, demanded of him a sign from heaven, saying, Master we would see a more convincing sign from thee. But when the multitude was gathered in a crowd about him, he answered and said unto them, This is an evil and adulterous * generation that still seeks after a further sign: but no such sign shall be given them, unless it be that which may be called the sign of the prophet Jonah, because it bears a resemblance to that miraculous occurrence For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of man be to this generation for as Jonah was three days and three nights † in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and on the third day shall burst the bands of death. And the men of Ninevah shall rise up in the final judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold one greater than Jonah is here. The queen of Sheba also in the south country shall rise up in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it; since she came from the extreme boundaries of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold one greater than Solomon is here.

An unclean spirit, when he has gone out of a man, goes about through dry and desart places‡, seeking rest, and finding none. Then he saith, I will return to my dwelling from whence I came out and when he comes he finds it empty of any better guest, swept and adorned to receive him. Then he goes and associates with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there; so that the last condition of that man is worse than the former. Thus also will it be to this wicked generation.

* A spurious race, degenerated from the piety of their ancestors.

The Easterns reckoned any part of a day of 24 hours, for a whole day. 1 Kings xx. 29. 2 Chron. x. 5, 12. Luke ii. 21.-It is not said in the Old Testament, that Jonah was swallowed by a Whale. As the gullet of a whale is known to be small, we may suppose it to have been some other large fish. The Hebrew word is general.

An allusion to the common notion that evil demons had their haunts in desarts.-Perhaps the circumstances here mentioned might be merely parabolical and ornamental.

REFLECTIONS.

Let us to whom the revelation of the gospel is so clearly made, fear lest these dreadful things should come upon us, and the abuse of our advantages should render us an easy prey to Satan, and a fit habitation for the powers of darkness. Let those particularly fear it, who, having been brought to some serious impressions and some external reformation, are tempted to a relapse into former vices, which would render their latter end far worse than their beginning. God has permitted some such awful instances to occur; and unhappy wretches, perhaps some of them the children of religious parents too, who were once not far from the kingdom of God, have so abandoned every principle of religion, and ever sentiment of wisdom and virtue, that it seems as if seven devils had possessed them, and were driving them headlong to destruction.

May we, instead of demanding further evidences of Christianity than the wisdom of God has seen fit to give us, make it our care to hear and obey and diligently improve the light we have received! May we be brought to a sincere and lasting repentance by the preaching of Christ, and his apostles, lest the Ninevites rise up in judgment against us, and condemn us! May we own the superior wisdom of this Divine Teacher, this better Solomon; and say, as the queen of Sheba to the Jewish prince, (1 Kings x. 8.) Happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom! for thou speakest as never man spake; and in thee all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid. But oh, how many are curious to know what little concerns them, and are fond of improving their own wit, and trying that of others, by hard questions, while the far more obvious and important points of wisdom are neglected as beneath their regard; as if every thing were more necessary than being wise to salvation! We need not travel to distant climates to learn this heavenly philosophy; no, it is nigh us, even in our mouth; and we are, on that account, so much the more inexcusable, if it be not also in our heart.

SECTION LXIV.

Light not to be concealed.

The obedient disciples of Christ dearer to him than the nearest relations. LUKE xi. 33-36. viii. 19–21. Matt. xii. 46, &c. MARK iii. 31, &c.

N

O man having lighted a lamp puts it in a bye-place, or under a bushel, but on a stand, that they who come in may see the lustre it gives. The eye is the lamp of the body if thine eye therefore be clear, thy whole body also will be enlightened; but if [thine eye] be distempered, thy whole body also will be darkened. See to it therefore lest that which is the light in thee be darkness. For if thy whole body be enlightened, having no part dark, through distemper or prejudice (being thus all enlightened) it will be as when a lamp lights thee by its sprightly lustre, and thou goest with security and pleasure.

And as he was yet speaking these things to the people, behold there then came unto him his mother and his brethren (or near kinsmen) who standing without, sent to him to call him away from so dangerous a situation; and for this end desired to speak with him. [For] the multitude sat about him, and they could not come at him on account of the crowd. Therefore one of the people said unto him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, inquiring for thee, and desiring to see and speak with thee. But he answered and said to him that told him, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And looking round on them that were sitting about him, and stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren here. For these that hear the word of God and practise it are considered by me as my mother and my brethren; and whosoever shall do the will of God, my Heavenly Father, this very person is regarded by me as my brother, or my sister, or my mother.

REFLECTIONS.

To suppose that our Lord intended to put any slight on his mother would be very absurd: He only took this opportunity of expressing his affection to his obedient disciples in a peculiarly endearing manner, which could not but be a great comfort to them; and would be, to the pious women who sat near him, a rich equivalent for all the fatigue and expense which their zeal for him occasioned. Possibly it might also be intended as an awful intimation to some of his near relatives, to take heed how they indulged that unbelief which had prevailed in their minds: for in this case the nearness of their relation to Christ according to the flesh, would be no advantage to them, but those that should do his will would be preferred in his esteem before them, and be united to him in a relation that should never be dissolved*.

So may it be our care to do the will of God, that we may be thus dear to our Redeemer, who ought by so many tender bonds to be dear to us; and who, by such gracious and indulgent declarations as these which we have now been reading, is drawing us as with the cords of a man, and with the bands of love!

Still does the light of his divine instructions shine with the brightest lustre, and diffuse itself around us! Let us open the eyes of our mind with singleness and simplicity to receive it; and make it our care to act according to it. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord, and thus with cheerfulness shall we reap the fruit of a well informed mind and a well regulated life. May we be delivered from all those false maxims which would darken our hearts amidst all this meridian lustre, and turn our boasted light into darkness ! Would to God there were not renewed instances of this kind continually occurring among us; and that we did not daily meet with persons whose pretended wisdom teaches them to forget or despise the gospel, and so serves only to amuse their eyes, while it leads their feet to the chambers of death!

* As the author's reflections in this section are unusually short, and this part of the sacred history is scarcely noticed, the above, which is extracted from the notes, is inserted by the Editor.

SECTION LXV.

Christ delivers the parable of the Sower, and assigns the reason of his speaking in parables. MATT. xiii. 1—17. MARK. iv. 1–12 LUKE viii. 4-10.

ON

N that day Jesus, going out of the house, sat down by the side of the sea, and began again to teach there; and such great multitudes were gathered together, who came from every city to hear him, that, entering into a ship he sat down on it in the sea, and the whole multitude stood by the sea upon the shore. And he spake a parable concerning a Sower; and likewise taught them many other things in parables. And in the beginning of his teaching this day he said to them, Hearken: behold a sower went forth to sow his seed. And it happened that, while he was sowing, some of the seed fell by the way side, and it was trodden under foot, or the birds of the air came and devoured it. And some fell on stony soil, upon a rock, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun shone hot upon it, it was scorched and withered away as soon as it was sprung up, because it had no root, and wanted moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it, and so it yielded no fruit. And the rest fell on good ground, which being well nourished grew up and increased, and produced fruit; some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold. And when he had said these things, he cried out and said unto them, He that hath ears to hear let him hear.

And when he was alone, having parted with the multitude, the rest of his disciples, with the twelve, came and asked him concerning the parable; saying, What may this parable be? and why dost thou speak to them in parables? And he replying, said unto them, Because though it is granted to you whose hearts are open to receive the truth, to know the mysteries of the kingdom, yet it is not granted to others who are prejudiced against them; but to them that are without, all these things are involved in parables. For to every one that hath any talent and improves it, shall be given more, and he shall have abundance; but even that which he hath shall be taken away from him who hath not from the slothful creature, who acts like one who hath not any thing to improve. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. So that it is in just displeasure that I speak to them in this obscure language, that what has been their crime may be their punishment that seeing my miracles they may see the outward act, but not perceive the evidence arising from them; and hearing my discour ses, they may hear the sound but not understand their true meaning; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And thus in them is the prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled (vi. 9, 10.) which saith, "By hearing you shall hear, but shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, but you shall not perceive. For the heart of this people is grown stiff with fatness, and they hear with heavy ears, and draw up their eyes as if half alseep, lest at any

time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heal them*."

But happy are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear for verily I say unto you, That many prophets have desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.

REFLECTIONS.

Let us hear with fear and trembling these awful declarations from the lips of the compassionate Jesus himself. Here were crowds about Christ, who indulged such prejudices, and attended with such perverse dispositions, that in righteous judgment he took an obscurer method of preaching to them, and finally left many of them under darkness and impenitency to die in their sins.

Let us take heed lest the bounties of Divine Providence should be thus abused by us, as a means of casting us into a stupid insensibility of the hand and voice of the blessed God: or we may otherwise have ground to fear lest he should leave us to our own delusions, and give us up to the lusts of our own hearts. And then the privilege of ordinances, and of the most awakening providential dispensations, will be vain; seeing we shall see, and not perceive; and hearing we shall hear, and not understand. It is our peculiar happiness under the gospel that we see and hear what prophets and princes, and saints of old, desired to see and hear, but were not favoured with it. Let us be thankful for our privilege, and improve it well; lest a neglected gospel by the righteous judgment of God be taken away, and our abused seasons of grace, by one method of divine displeasure or other, be brought to a speedy period. But if by grace it is given to us to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, let us learn a thankfulness in some measure proportionable to the corrupt prejudices which have been overborne, and the important blessings which are secured to us.

SECTION LXVI.

Our Lord explains to his disciples the parable of the Sower, and exhorts them to improve their gifts. MARK IV. 13-25. MATT. xiii. 18-22. LUKE Viii. 11-18.

AND, the apostles having asked Jesus the meaning of the parable of

the Sower, He said unto them, Know ye not this parable? How then will ye understand all my other parables? Hear ye therefore, according to your desire, the explication of the parable of the Sower. Now the meaning of it o is this. The seed which the sower soweth is the word of God. And these are they by the way-side, where the

*It is to be considered that the above passage was delivered with a particular reference to the Scribes and Pharisees, who had so vilely blasphemed our Lord this very morning; and probably they had gathered a company of their associates to ensnare him.