whence I came out ;
and when he is come,
he findech it empty,
swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he,
and taketh with him
self seven other fpi-
rits more wicked than
himself, and they en-
ter in and dwell there :
and the last state of
thar man is worse
than the first. Even
To shall it be also unto
this wicked genera-
tion.

46 While he yet talked to the people,

behold, his mother and his brethren

CHA P. III. CHAP. VIII.

31 There came then 19 Then came to his brethren and his him his mother and mother,

his brechten,

whose behalf Providence bath fo graciously concern'd it felf, do not prove the better for fo great a Benefit, the Demon at bis return will find a free admission, and the place like to a House cleansed, and set in order to receive a long expected Friend. The evil Spirit finds room, and enough for many others worse than himself, which comes to pass by the just Judgment of God upon the impenitency of that man who flighted so great a Mercy; and this latter Condition of the Man will be much worse than when he was before poffeffed with the evil Spirit. The like Afflictions Thall happen to the Jews of this Age, if after all the Wonders I have wrought among them, and the means I have us'd to let them free from their Crimes and Vices, they take no notice of my Preaching and Miracles, and continue in a coursé of Wickedness; God will give them up to themselves, and in this deplorable Condition they shall grow worse and worse, and draw down God's severelt Judg. ment upon

them. While Jesus was thus discoursing to the Multitude round about him, his Mother and some of his Relations came thither, and were desirous to speak with him,

2 2

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUXB. John.

CHA P. XII.

CH A P. III.

CHA P. VIII.

32 And the multitude sat abour him,

and could not come at him for the

press. 47 Then one faid and they said 20 And it was cold unto him, Behold, unto him, Behold, thy him by certain, which thy mother and thy mother and thy bre- said, Thy mother and brechren stand with thren without seek for thy brethren stand our, desiring to speak thee.

without, defiring to with thee.

see thee. 48 Eut he answer33 And he answer

21 And he answerod and said unto him ed them, saying, ed and said unto them, that cold him,

who is my who is my mother, or muther ? and who are my brethren? my brethren? 49 And he stretch

34 And he looked ed forth his hand to- round about on them wards his disciples and which fat about him, faid, Behold my mo- and said, Behold my ther, and my brethren. mother, and my bre

thren. so For whosoever

35 For whosoever My mocher and shall do the will of shall do the will of my brethren are these

Father which is God, the fame is my which hear the word in heaven, the same brother, and my sister, of God, and do it. is my brother, and and mother. fifter, and mother.

my

of which he was inform'd by some of the Auditory, they not having been able to press thro the Crowd.

Fesus then stretching his Hand out, and looking round upon his Disciples and Hearers; All these, said he, are of my family who have diligently heard my Dodrine, who embrace the Gospel with Sincerity, and are resolv'd to live in obedience to the Laws of it: These are to me instead of a Mother, and the nearest Relations, whom I am commanded to take care of, and not only those that are al lied unto me by Consanguinity.

and fat 'ANDhe began a.

gain to teach by the sea-fide. by the sea-side: 2 And great mul

and there was citades were gathered gathered unto him a together unto him, so great multitude, so that he went into a thar he entred into a ship, and lat,

ship, and lat ut

in the sea, and the

and the whole multitude stood whole multitude was on the shore.

by the sea, on the
land.

4 And when much
people were gathered
together, and were
come to him out of

every city, 3 And he spake 2 And he qught

he spake many things unto them them many things by by a parable. in parables, saying, parables,

and said unto

them in his doctrine, Behold, a lower 3 Hearken, Behold, 5 A lower were went forth to low. there went out a lower out to fow his feed :

to low :

CHAP. XXVII.
Parables concerning those that bear the Gospel.

THE

HE fame day Jefus went out to the Lake of Genefareth, and began to in

struct the People upon the Shoar;, but the Multitude increasing, to avoid the Press, and that many might hear him, he went into a little Boat, and putting off a little from the Shoar, he from thence preach'd unto them, describing in Similitudes the various Tempers of his Hearers, and the different Effects his publishing of the Gospel had among them. Hearken, said he, attentively to what I am about to speak unto you for it concerns you very much to be acquainted with it. A Sower went forth to fow, and being thus busied, part of his Seed fell upon the

MATTHEW.

MARK.
LUKE.

John.

C H A P. XIII.

CHA P. IV.

CHAP. VIII.

4 And when he fow 4 And ic came to

and as he ed, fome seeds fell by pass as he sowed, fome fowed, some fell by : the ways fide,

fell by the way.side, the ways fide,

De and it was trodden

down,
and the
- and the

and the fowls came and de- fowls of the air came fowls of the air devoured them up.

and devoured it up. voured it. s Some fell upon 5 And some fell 6 And some fell stony places, where on stony ground, upon a rock, they had not much where it had not much earth : and forthwich earth, and immediatly and as soon as it was they sprung up, be it sprang up, because sprung up, cause they Irad no it had no depth of deepness of earth. earth.

6 And when the 6 But when the sun sun was up, they were Was tip,it was scorched; scorched, and because and because it had no it withered away, bethey had not root, root, it withered 2. cause it lacked' moi: they withered a way. way.

sture. 7 And some fell a 7 And some fell a

7 And some fell as mong thorns: and the mong thorns, and the mong thorns, and the thorns sprung up and thorns grew up, and thorns sprang up with choked them.

it, and choked it. and it yield. e

ed no fruit. 8 But other fell in 8 Ald other fell on

8 And other fell on
to good ground, and good ground, and did good ground, and
brought forth fruit, yield truit that sprang Iprang up, and bare
Tome an hundred-foid, up and increased, and fruit an hundred-fold.
fome fixty-fold, some brought forth some
thirty-fold.

thirty, and fome fixty,
and fome an hundred.

choked it,

Highway, which was not separated from bis Field by any Hedgor Ditch, by whichi it came to pass that this Seed was lost, partly by being trodden under foot, and partly by the Birds who pick'd it up, as not having been coverd with any Earth.

-Other of his Seed feli upon stony places, and shortly after sprung up, not having been buried deep enough in the Ground : This was quickly burnt up by the vehement heat of the Suil, as not having taken root deep enough, and being deftitute of Moisture.

Some of it fell upon a place overgrown with Briars and Thorns, which growing up, choak'd the Seed, and hindered it from bringing forth any Fruit in those parts. I aftly, some of it fell on a good and fertil Soil, and brought forth great plenty of Corn, infomuch as for one Grain fowed, they reap'd thirty, fixty, and even a hun.

dred

MATTHEW. MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. XIII.

CHAP. IV.

CHA P. VII.

And when he had 9 And he said unto said these things, he

them, He that hach cried, He that hath 9 who hath ears ears to hear, let him ears to hear, ler him to hear, let him hear. hear.

hear. 10 And when he

was alone, 10 And the disciples

they that

9. And his disciples came, and said to him, were about him with asked him, saying, Why speakest thou the twelve, asked of what might this pato them in parables ? him the parable. rable be ?

II He answered I1 And he said un 10 And he said, and said unto them, to them, Unto you it Unto you it is given Because ic is given is given to know the to know the mysteries linto you to know mystery of the king- of the kindom of God: che mysteries of dom of God: but un- bur to others in para... the kingdom of hea- to them that are with. bles; ven, but to them it is our, all these things not given.

are done in parables : 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance : but whosoever hach not, from him shall be taken away, even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak 12 That seeing they

that I to them in parables : may fee, and not per- seeing they might noc because they feeing, ceive ; and hearing fee, and hearing they see not; and hearing, they may hear, and might not understand..

dred Grains. When Jesus had delivered this Parable, he cried out with a loud Voice : Let every one take notice of this who thinks it his Duty to use his utmost endeavour to acquaint himself throughly with my Doctrine.

When the multitude were dispers’d, and the Disciples left alone with Jesus, they ask'd him why he made use so frequently of obscure Similitudes before the People, and what was the meaning of this last about the Sower. Felus answer'd them? God has bin pleas'd: to discover to you those things which concern the heavenly Kingdom of the Meffiah, tho he hath not made so clear a Revelation of his purposes to others : for. whoever like you shall have made a right use of the Gifts God bath formerly bestowed upon them, Thall receive other and greater Benefits from him ; but those that have abus'd his former Bounty, have forfeited all Title to future Favours. This now is the case of many among the Feros, and this is the rea, fun why I:express my selfi fo often in obfcure Similitudes; for whereas. God bad .

endowed