and Luke have given our Lord's answer, a feemingly different turn from what it has in Matthew. Luke's words are, viii. 10. And he faid, Unto you it is given to know the myfleries of the kingdom of God; bnt to others in parables, that feeing they might not fee, and bearing they might not understand The difficulty however arifes principally from Mark's reprefentation, iv. 11. But unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables 12. That feeing they may fee, and not perceive, and bearing they may hear, and not understand; left at any time they Should be converted, and their fins fhould be forgiven them: words which at first fight feem to import, that Jefus fpake to the people obfcurely in parables, on purpose that they might not underftand what he faid, for fear they should have been converted and pardoned. Nevertheless, it is evident from Mark himself, that our Lord cannot be branded with a fentiment of this kind; for at the conclufion of the whole he fays exprefsly, verfe 33. "With many fuch parables fpake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it." But if Jefus fpake to the people in parables as they were able to hear, his anfwer to the difciples recorded by Mark who makes this obfervation on his preaching, cannot reasonably be understood in any fenfe inconfiftent therewith. For which reason, the glofs put upon this obfervation by Dr Clarke, muft fall. "Jefus (fays he) chofe to deliver his doctrine in fuch a manner, that it might be received by those who were fincerely defirous to know and obey the will of God, while the wilful and incorrigible remained deaf to all his inftructions." Serm. on 2 Theff. ii. 11. Indeed that on fome occafions men are hardened, as a juft punishment of their abufing the means of grace beflowed

the tyranny of their lufts, that they might become fruitful in goodness; had he plainly declared what he infinuated in the parable of the grain of mustard, which grew fe great as to fhelter the fowls of heaven under its branches, that the Gentiles were to be governed by the Meffiah, not as flaves but free born fubjects, and to enjoy all the privileges of his kingdom, on an equal footing with the Jews; had he taught them plainly, what he infinuated obfcurely by the parable of the fown feed which sprang up filently, and by the parable of the leaven hid in a quantity of meal, Ï mean, that the kingdom of the Meilah was neither to be erected nor fupported by the violence of war, but by the fecret force of truth, whofe operation, though frong, is altogether imperceptible; I fay, had our Lord taught his hearers thefe things in in terms, they would have rejected them, and been greatly offended, and probably have forfaken him altogether; fo oppofite were the doctrines mentioned, to their favourite notions and expectations. In the mean time, if it shall be afked, why he troubled his hearers with thofe fubjects at all, fince he delivered them in fuch obfcure terms; the antwer is, it was expedient for the confirmation of the golpel, that he himself in his own life time should give fome hints of the nature thereof, and of the reception it was to meet with; because the Jews comparing the events with thefe parabolical predictions, would be difpofed thereby to acquiefce more peaceably in the admiffion of the Gentiles into the church, without fubjecting them to the Mofaical inftitutions, a thing they were not brought to do but with the utmost difficulty,

bestowed on them, I do not at all deny. But though this doctrine be true, it does not seem to be contained in the paffage under confideration. The true interpretation depends on a juft view of Mark's fcope, which, if I miftake. not, our tranflators have inified For remembering that in the parallel paffage, Matt. xiii. 14. the words of Ifa. vi. 9, io. are quoted, and finding fome of the phrases of that prophecy in Mark, they never doubted bat Ifaiah was cited there likewife, and interpreted the paffage accordingly. For they gave the Greek uners in Mark, the figni fication of the Hebrew in the prophecy, fuppofing it to be the correfponding word, and by that means made Mark, contradict what he himself has told us in verle 33. "With many fuch parables fpake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it." Nevertheless, if it fhall be found, that properly speaking there is no citation here, but only an allufion to a citation which our Lord made in the beginning of his difcourfe, and which a precedent hiftorian had recorded, we may allow that though i in the prophecy fignifies left, nors in our Lord's anfwer recorded by Mark, may have a different, but equally natural fignification, viz. If fo be, if peradventure, agreeably to its ufe in other pa fages. That Ifaiah is not cited in the branch of Chrift's answer recorded by Mark, is evident, because there is not the least hint of any citation. Befides, the flightest comparison of the paflages themselves will fhew them to be different. In the prophecy, God orders Ifaia. to declare concerning the Jews in after times, that they fhould hear the Mefliah preach, but not understand him; and fee his miracles, but not conceive a juft idea of the power by which they were performed; and to prophefy of them that they fhould harden their hearts, and deafen their ears, and close their eyes, left they fhould fee with their eyes, and hear with their cars, and understand with their hearts, and convert and be healed. In Matthew, our Lord affigns the completion of that prophecy, as the reafon why he fpake to the people by parables. They were become fo ftupid and wicked, that they could not endure to hear the doctrines of the gospel plainly preached to them. In Mark he added, that because this was the state of their mind, he wrapped up his doctrine in parables, with an intention that they might fee as much of it as they were able to receive, but not perceive the offenfive particulars which would have made them reject both him and his doctrine; and that they might hear as much as they were able to hear, but not understand any thing to irritate them against him; ad all with a defign to promote their converfion and falvation. Mark iv. 11. Unto them that are without, all thefe things are done (delivered) in parables: 12. That feeing they may fee, and not perceive, and hearing they may bear, and not understand, (untori) if peradventure they may be con

*

verted,

Ver. 12. If peradventure they may be converted.] This fignificmon V. II.

K

[Sect. 49. verted, and their fins be forgiven them. From our Lord's ufing two or three of the prophet's phrases, we cannot conclude that he cited him, or even that he used those phrases in the prophet's fenfe of them. He had cited him in the beginning of his diffourse, and therefore though he affixed a different sense to his words, he might ufe them by way of allufion, to infinuate that it was the wickedness of the Jews, predicted by Ifaiah, which had rendered, this kind of teaching the only probable method of converting them. Upon the whole, the expreffions afcribed to Jefus in Mark's gofpel, are by no means the fame with those found in Matthew; but they contain an additional fentiment on the fame fubject, by way of farther illustration. It is true, Christ's teaching the people by parables placed in this light, appears to have been a favour rather than a judicial stroke, notwithstanding it appears from our Lord's own words, that it was of the latter kind. But the anfwer is, that this manner of teaching without doubt implied the highest blame in the Jews, whofe wickedness had rendered it neceffary, and conveyed an idea of punishment on the part of Chrift, who for their wickedness deprived them of better means of inftruction, fo that it was really a punishment. At the fame time it was a favour likewife, as it was a less punishment than they deferved, and a punishment to reclaim them. acknowledge, that if our Lord had not fpoken in anfwer to the difciples, who defired to know the reafon of his conduct, what he faid on this occafion might have been compared with other texts, in which, according to the genius of the Hebrew language, the words lead us to think of the intention of the agent, while in the mean time nothing but the effect of his action is defcribed. Nevertheless, the circumftances of the paffage under confideration forbid this method of interpretation. To conclude, it must be no fmall recommendation of the fenfe offered above, that it is much more to the honour of Christ than the common interpretation. For though it cannot be pretended, that he always bestowed on every perfon the most efficacious means of inftruction poffible for the divine wisdom to contrive, because if that had been the cafe, none could have refifted his teaching, yet we may venture to affirm, that when he taught men, he never did it but with a view to instruct them, and to promote their falvation; so far was he

*

from

penzere has undoubtedly, Luke iii. 15. And as all the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, (KNTOTE AUT℗ H) whether (if) he were the Chrift or not. 2 Tim ii. 23. In meekness inftructing those that oppose themselves, (unwove) if peradventure God will give them repent

ance.

*Nothing but the effect, &c.] Of this fort in the following paffage, Mast. x. 34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I am not come to fend peace but a fword, 35. For I am come to fet a man at variance against bis father, and the daughter against her mother, &c. where without doubt the sect, not the defign of Christ's coming, is expreffed.

from forming his difcourfes darkly, on purpose to keep them in ignorance, and hinder their converfion. For it is beyond the power of the moft captious difputant to deny, that the great end of all Chrift's labours was the illumination, converfion, and fal vation of mankind.

Thus Jefus affured his apostles, that the only reason why he taught the people by parables, was their wickedness, which had rendered them incapable of receiving his doctrine any other way. Whereas he could fafely unfold it to his apoftles in the plaineft terms, the honefty and teachablenefs of their difpofition fitting them for such a favour, in which respect he told them they were peculiarly happy. And to enhance this privilege the more, he told them that many patriarchs and proplets of old, had earnestly defired to see and hear the things which they faw and heard, but. were denied that favour, God having till then fhewed them to his most eminent faints in fhadows only, and afar off in the womb of futurity. Matt. xiii. 16. But bleffed are your eyes, for they fee, and your ears, for they bear. 17. For verily I fay unto you, that many prophets and righteous men bave defired to fee those things which ye fee, and have not seen them; and to bear thofe things which ye bear, and have not heard them. The attention of the difciples being thus raised, Jefus proceeded to explain the parable. Mark iv. 13. And be faid unto them, Know ye not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables? How will ye be able to understand all my other parables, many of which are more obfcure than this? Matt. xiii. 18. Hear ye therefore the interpretation of the parable of the fower. Mark iv. 14. The fower foweth the word. (Luke 11. The feed is the word of God). The feed therefore fignifies the doctrines of true religion, and the various kinds of ground, the various kinds of hearers. Hence Mark's words, ver. 20. Οι επι την γην την καλήν σπαρέντες, do not fignify as in our tranflation, "These are they which are sown on good ground," as if the feed denoted the hearers; but these are they which being fown (λαμβανωσι το σπέρμα) receive feed upon good ground; the Greek word anagers, like the English word fown, being applied either to the ground or to the feed. The ground by the highway fide, which is apt to be beaten by mens treading upon it, is an image of thofe who have their hearts fo hardened with impiety, that though they hear the gospel preached, it makes no impreffion on them at all, because they either hear it inattentively, or if they attend, they quickly forget it. This infenfibility and inattention, is ftrongly reprefented by the beaten ground along the highway, into which the feed never entering, it is bruised by the feet of men, or picked up of birds. Matt. xiii. 19. When any one beareth the word of the kingdom, and underRandeth it not, or confidereth it not, for us fignifies both, then cometh the wicked one, (Mark, Satan cometh immediately)

and

are.

and catcheth away that (Mark, the word) which was fown in his heart: this is he which received feed by the way.fide. The devil is faid to come and catch away the word from this fort of hearers, not because he has power to rob men of their knowledge or religious impreffions by any immediate act, but because they expose themselves through careleffiefs to the whole force of the temptations, which he lays in their way, and particularly to those which arife, whether from their commerce with men, a circumftance obferved by Luke, who tells us that the feed was trodden down; or from their own headstrong lufts, which like fo many hungry fowls, fly to, and quickly eat up the word out of their mind. The perturbation occafioned by the paffions of this kind of hearers, and by the temptations which they are exposed to, renders them altogether inattentive in hearing; or if they attend, it hardens them against the impreffions of the word, and effaces the remembrance of it in an inftant, in fo much that the perni cious influence of evil paffions and bad company, cannot truly be reprefented by any lower figure, than that the word is taken away by the devil, whofe agents fuch perfons and lufts most certainly The rocky ground reprefents those hearers, who fo far receive the word into their hearts, that it fprings up in good refolutions, which perhaps are accompanied with a partial reforma tion of fome fins, and the temporary practice of fome virtues. Nevertheless, they are not thoroughly affected with the word, it does not fink deep enough to remain in their minds. And therefore, when perfecution arifes for the fake of the gofpel, and fuch hearers are expofed to fines, imprifonments, corporal punishments, banishments, and death; or even to any great temptation of an ordinary kind, which requires firmnefs to repel it, thofe good refolutions, which the warmth of their paffions had raised fo quickly in hearing, do as quickly wither, because they are not rooted in juft apprehenfions of the reafons that fhould induce men to lead fuch lives; juft as vegetables, which, because they have not depth. of foil fufficient to nourish them, are foon burnt up by the scorching heat of the mid-day fun. Matt. 20. But he that received the feed into fony places, (Mark, ftony ground. Luke, They on the rock) the fame is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it 21. Yet bath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; (Luke, which for a while believe ;) for when tribulation or perfecution arifeth becaufe of the word, by and by he is offended (Luke, in time of temptation fall away.) The ground full of thorns, that fprang up with the feed and choked it, reprefents all those who receive the word into hearts full of worldly cares, which fooner or later deftroy whatever convictions or good refolutions are raised by the word. Mark iv. 18. And these are they which are fown among thorns, fuch as bear the word, (Luke, which when they have heard go forth). *19. And the cares of