MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. JOHN. CHA P. XIII. 25 But while men flept, his enemy came and fowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was fprung up, and brought torth fruit, then appeared the tares alfo. 27 So the fervants of the houfholder came and faid unto him, Sir, didft not thou fow good feed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares ? 28 He faid unto them, An enemy hath done this. The fervants faid unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he faid, Nay; left while ye gather up the tares, ye root up alfo the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together. until the harvest: and in the time of harveft I will fay to the reapers, Gather ye-together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat: into my barn. in the night time, and fowed Tares amongst it. When the Wheat grew up, the Tares alfo grew up along with it; which the Servants taking notice of, acquainted their Mafter with it, asking him if he had not fowed his Field with Wheat; from whence then, faid they, are these Tares? He told them he had fown only Wheat, and knew nothing of the Tares before, but that he imagin'd fome Enemy had mischievously mix'd the Tares among the Wheat. The Servants then propos'd to have the Tares rooted up, that the Corn afterwards might receive the greater Nourishment. But the Mafter forbad it, left while they pluck'd up the Tares, they might pluck up the Corn alfo, but, faid he, let both grow toge ther until the time of Harvest, and then you fhall gather the Tares, and bundle them up for fewel, and reap the Corn to be ftor'd up in my Barns. The MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. JOHN. CHA P. IV. 26 And he faid, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man fhould caft feed into the ground, 27 And should fleep, and rife night and day, and the feed should fpring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruic of her self, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the fickle, because the harvest is come. 30 And he faid, whereunto fhall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison fhall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of muftard-feed, which when it is fown in the earth, is less than all the feeds that be in the earth.` The preaching of my Gofpel may be alfo likened to Seed fown in the Ground, which fprings up, and grows infenfibly, whilft Men are asleep, or imploy'd about their worldly Affairs: for the Earth, after it has been fown with Corn, without any further labour of the Husbandman, completes the Work, bringing forth at firft the Blade, then the Ear, after that the full Corn in the Ear; which, when it is ripe, is reap'd, and laid up in Storehoufes. We may alfo compare the Doctrine of the Gospel to a Grain of Mustard-feed, which, tho it be of the smallest fort of Seeds, yet shoots forth to fuch a height, and and has fo many Branches, as to be able to afford shelter to the Birds against the Heat of the Sun, and places for them to build their Nefts in. The Gofpel may alfo not unfitly be compar'd to a little Leaven which a Woman mixes with a large quantity of Meal, and which caufes the whole Mafs to fwell, and to dilate it felf in every part of it. Jefus made ufe of thefe Similitudes in his Difcourfes to the People at a time when it was not feasonable for him to exprefs himself more clearly: for queftionless they would have been offended, if he had at firft openly declar'd unto them that the Power of the Meffiah here on Earth was only to fet them free from their Vices; that their Jewish Rites were now to be abrogated, and give place to a new Religion, and other like Truths; which were indeed for the honour of the Gofpel, but little agreeing with the common Opinions of the Jews concerning the Meah, and the perpetual obligation of the Law of Mefes. For thefe Reasons Jefus wrap'd up thofe Truths in Parables, which might elfe have offended the Ears of the unprepar'd Jews; not to conceal his meaning alike from all, but that he might not immediatly alienate the Minds of those from him who as yet were not fufficiently difpos'd to receive MATTHEW. CHAP. XIII. 泞 35 That it might be fulfilled which was Spoken by the prophet, faying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which have been kept fecret from the foundation of the world. 36 Then Jefus fent the multitude away, and went into the houfe: and his difciples came unto him, faying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and faid unto them, He that foweth the good feed is the Son of man: 38 The field is the world: the good feed are the children of the kingdon but the tares are the children of the wicked one : receive the naked Truth: for he interpreted whatever was obfcure in them to his Difciples in private. To which practice of Jefus thofe words may be applied which we read in the 78th Pfalm, v. 2. I will open my Mouth in a Parable: I will utter dark fayings of old. The Multitude being feparated, Jefus return'd home, and his Difciples came to him, defiring him to explain to them the Similitude of the Tares, which they did not throughly underftand. To whom Jefus thus replied: I am the Sower of the good Seed I spoke of: The Field is the Earth: The Seed they that hear the Gospel, believe it, and live according to the Rules of it; and fhall therefore participate of the Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Tares are wicked Men, who are every where mix'd with the Good, and who shall have no fhare in the Happiness MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. JOHN. CHAP. XIII. 39 The enemy that fowed them, is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world: and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire; fo fhall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man fhall fend forth his angels, and they fhall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity: 42 And fhall caft them into a furnace of fire: there fhall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous fhine forth as the fun, in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field: the which when a man hath found, he Happiness of that Kingdom. The Enemy who privately fowed Tares among the Wheat, is the evil Spirit, who by private Artifices feeks to undermine and corrupt mens Integrity. The Harveft is the End of the World, and the last Judgment; and the Reapers are the Angels. Laftly, Like as the Tares are gathered together in order to be burnt, while the Wheat is carefully ftor'd up, thus fhall I fend the Angels as Executioners of my Father's Will, to feparate the Good from the Bad, that thefe may be thrown into Fire, that is, a Place allotted for them to endure the Torments they have merited, where all their Lamentations and Complaints of the Mifery of their Condition shall be vain and fruitless to them, while the former are admitted into the Seats of eternal Blifs, where they fhall fhine like the Sun in its greatest Luftre. Let thofe who make a right ufe of the Abilities God hath given them, attend to my Sayings, and they fhall understand them. I might alfo compare the Doctrine of the Gofpel to Treafure formerly hid in the Ground, and conceal'd for a long time, but at laft difcover'd by a Paffenger, Bb who |