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it shall never be forgiven, neither under the present dispensation, nor under the succeeding gospel dispensation. (Heb. ii. 5.)

33. Either acknowledge the tree good by its good fruit; or else declare the tree corrupt, by its corrupt fruit. For the tree is known by its fruit.

84. O generation of vipers! how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35. A good man, out of his heart's good trea sure brings forth good things; and an evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things.

36. But I tell you, That men shall give an account in the day of judgment for every false and pernicious word they speak, 37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified or condemned.

38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39. To whom he replied, An evil and an adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but that of the prophet Jonas. 40. For as Jonas (i. 17.) was three days and three nights in the fish's belly, so shall the Son of man (Heb. ii. 16.) be three days and three nights in the grave. 41. The men of Nineve will rise in the judgment with this generation, and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42. The queen of the south will rise in the judgment with this generation, and condemn it; for she came from a far country to hear Solomon's wisdom, and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man who is a Jew, he goeth thro' the heathen dry wilderness seeking rest, but finding none, (when watered with the gospel); 44. Then he saith, I will return to my habitation which I left: and when he comes he finds it empty (of all that is good), and prepared for receiving him. 45. Then

he takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and that man's last state is worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation.

46. While he yet spake to the people, behold, his mother (who had no child but him, being al. ways a virgin) and his kindred stood without, desiring to speak with him.

47. Then one said to him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48. But he replied to him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49. Then stretching forth his hand toward his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50. For whoever doth the will of my Father in heaven, he is dearer to me than brother, or sister, or mother.

CHAP. XIII.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER, &c.

THE same day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the sea-side.

2. And great multitudes came to him, so he went into a ship, and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3. Then he spake many things to them in pa. rables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow; 4. And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside; and the fowls came and devoured them. 5. Some fell on rocky places, where they had not much earth; so they sprung up quickly, having no depth of earth. 6. But when the sun was up they were scorched; and having no root, they withered. 7. And some fell among thorns; which sprung up and choaked them. 8. But others fell on good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred, some sixty, and some thirty-fold.

9. Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hearken.

10. Then the disciples coming near, said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? 11. He replied, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, (as ye have to preach it); but to them it is not given (but in parables).

12. For to him who improveth what he hath, more shall be given in abundance; but whoever improveth not what he hath, even that shall be taken away from him: 13. Therefore I spake to them in parables, (for they are capable of nothing else); because tho' they see (the miracles,) they perceive not (the divine power therein, and in providences) and tho' they hear they hearken not, nor understand. 14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, Tho' ye hear, still you will not understand; and tho' ye see, still you will not perceive: 15. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and be converted, that I might heal them.

16. But your eyes are blessed, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

17. For verily, I tell you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see those things which ye see, and did not see them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and heard them not.

18. Hear ye, therefore, the parable of the

sower.

19. When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and considers it not, the evil one comes, and snatches away the word which was sown in his heart. This is the receiving the seed by the way side. 20. But the receiving the seed into stony places, is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it: 21. Yet he hath no rooted fixed principles, (resolutions or fixed impressions) in himself, and so

endures only for a while, but not to the end; for when affliction or persecution arise because of the word, he is soon made to stumble. 22. The receiving seed among thorns is he that hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, so it becomes unfruitful. 23. But the seed received into the good ground, resembles those who hear the word and consider it, and so bear fruit, some an hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold.

24. He proposed another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25. But while men slept (careless, Satan) his enemy came, and sowed darnel among the wheat, and went away. 26. So when the blade was sprung up and yielded fruit, the tares appeared also.

27. Then the householder's servants said to him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field, whence therefore, hath it tares? 28. He replied, An enemy hath done this. The servants said,

wouldst thou have us go and pluck them up? 29. He said, Nay; lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30. Let both grow together till the harvest; then I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

31. He propounded another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which one sowed in his field; 32. Which, indeed, is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs, yea, becometh a tree; so that the birds of the air lodge among its branches.

33. Another parable spake he to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

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34. All these things spake Jesus to the multitude in parables, and without a parable spake he not to them; 35. That what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, I will utter things in parables, kept secret from the foundation of the world.

36. Then Jesus leaving the multitude went into the house; and his disciples came unto him, saying, explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.

37. He replied to them, he who soweth the good seed is the Son of man, Heb. ii. 16. 38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the evil one; 39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.

40. Therefore, as the tares are gathered, and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world. 41. The Son of man shall send his angels to gather out of his kingdom all that offend, or do iniquity, 42. And cast them into a furnace of fire; where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun's lustre, in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever hath ears to hearken, let him consider.

44. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a field, (i. e. the gospel) which one having found he hideth, (i. e. he will not lose it), but for joy thereof selleth all that he hath (suffereth the loss of all things) to obtain that field.

45. Again a candidate for the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking goodly pearls, 46. Who having found a pearl of great value, (i. e. Christ) he parted with all that he had to obtain it.

47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, which gathered of every kind: 48. Which being full, they drew to shore, sat down, and put the good into vessels, but cast the bad

away.

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