James the fon of Alpheus, and (d) Thaddeus, and 19 Simon the Canaanite (e), And Judas Ifcariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. 20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that 21 they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they faid, He is beside himself (f).

22

And the scribes which came down from Jerufalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of 23 the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them

unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can 24 Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be di25 vided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And

if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot 26 stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be 27 divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man

can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man, and then 28 he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, All fins (g) shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blafphemies wherewith foever they shall blafpheme: 29 But he that shall blafpheme against the holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal 30 damnation: Because they faid, He hath an unclean fpirit.

31

There came then his brethren and his mother, and standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

(d) Thaddeus is the fame person as St. Jude. (e) See Matt. x. 4.

(f) St. John tells, vii. 5. that neither did his brethren believe in him: fome of our Lord's nearest relations were amongst the last to acknowledge his divine authority. When therefore on this occafion he was so intent on the instruction of the multitudes who followed him, that he had not time to take his ordinary refreshment, and was faint for want of food, they endeavoured to lay hold on him, on pretence that he was beside himself. From their example we may learn, that the best opportunities of knowledge and improvement will be lost upon us, if we want the preparation of a teachable mind. (g) See Mat. xii. 32.

32 And the multitude fat about him, and they faid unto him, Behold (b), thy mother and thy brethren with33 out feek for thee. And he anfwered them, faying, 34 Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he

looked round about on them which fat about him, 35 and faid, Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the fame is my brother, and my fifter, and mother (i).

CHAP.

a

IV.

AND he began again to teach by the fea-fide: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into ship, and fat in the fea, and the whole multitude was by the fea, on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and 3 faid unto them in his doctrine, Hearken: Behold 4 there went out a fower to sow: And it came to pass

as he fowed, some fell by the way-fide, and the fowls 5 of the air came and devoured it up. And fome fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up, because it had no depth 6 of earth. But when the fun was up, it was scorched, 7 and because it had no root, it withered away. And fome fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, 8 and choaked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth some thirty, 9 and fome fixty, and fome an hundred. And he faid unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was (a) alone, they that were about him with the twelve, asked of him the parable.

(h) See Mat. xii. 46.

(i) The same shall be accepted by me with equal affection as my nearest relations.

(a) When the multitude was gone away, and none left with

him but his constant followers.

And he faid unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (b), all these things are done in pa12 rables : That feeing they may fee (c), and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand: left at any time they should be converted, 13 and their sins should be forgiven them. And he faid unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will you know all parables?

14

The fower foweth the word. And these are they 15 by the way-fide, 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 ftony ground, who when they have heard the word, im 17 mediately receive it with gladness: And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward when affliction or persecution arifeth for the 18 word's fake, immediately they are offended (d). And these are they which are sown among thorns; fuch 19 as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lufts of other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh 20 unfruitful. And these are they which are fown on good ground, such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some fixty, and fome an hundred.

21

And he faid unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be 22 set on a candlestick (e)? For there is nothing hid which

are.

(b) Them who are not admitted to the familiarity which you

(c) See Mat. xii. 14. Note.

(d) Are difcouraged and fall away. See Mat. xviii. 16. (e) The word of God, which is intended for a lantern unto our feet, and a light unto our paths, is delivered in parables, not that it may be concealed, but that the attention being employed the more

which shall not be manifested: neither was any thing 23 kept fecret, but that it should come abroad. If any 24 man have ears to hear, (f) let him hear. And he faid unto them, Take heed what you hear with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you (g): 25 and unto you that hear shall more be given. 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 And he faid, So is the kingdom of God (b), as 27 if a man could cast seed into the ground, And should fleep, and rise night and day, and the feed should fpring and grow up, he knoweth not how (i). 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the 29 ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the fickle, because the harvest is come.

30

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we 31 compare it? It is like a grain of mustard-feed, which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all 32 the feeds that be in the earth. But when it is fown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs,

and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of

diligently to observe the intended application, the fame may be the more clearly understood, and the more deeply imprinted on the mind.

(f) See Mat. ix. 15. Mark vii. 16.

(g) This feems to be a proverbial expression, which is applied in a spiritual sense. If you make a good use of religious knowledge, you will, by the grace of God, make a proportionable improvement: if you be negligent, or inattentive, you will lofe that portion of knowledge you might have fecured to yourselves.

(h) Small as the state of the gospel was at first, it was daily increasing in a much greater proportion than could have been expected from its beginning. Mat. xiii. 32. Luke xiii. 18.

(1) As the feed, after being fown, springs up and comes to perfection in due season, without any further care of the husbandman.

33 the air may lodge under the shadow of it (k). And with many such parables spake he the word unto 34 them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them (1): and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. 35 And the fame day when the even was come, he faith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other fide. 36 And when they had fent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship, and there were 37 also with him other little ships. And there arofe

a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the 38 ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, afleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest 39 thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and faid unto the sea, Peace, be still: and the wind ceased, and there was a great 40 calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so 41 fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and faid to one another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

I

AND they came over unto the other fide of the fea, 2 into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean 3 spirit, 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 afunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither

(k) See Mat. xiii. 32. Note.

(1) Suiting his discourses to their capacity and disposition. Sec Mat. xiii. 11.

5 could