ment. They might say, 'It was nothing; we meant no evil; we merely threw out a supposition, as one way of accounting for the miracle we witnessed; if it will not stand, let it go; why make so much of it, and bear down with such severity for it? Jesus replies. It was not nothing, and at the great day will not be treated as nothing: Words, as the index of the heart, however idle they may seem, will be taken account of, whether good or bad, in estimating character in the day of judgment.'

Seek a Sign.

this important parable, in connection with the corresponding one-v. 29-see on Luke, 11. 21-26. A charming little incident, given only in Luke, 11. 27. 28, seems to have its proper place here. "And it came to pass, as He spake these things, a certain woman of the company"-'out of the crowd' "lifted up her voice and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked." With true womanly feeling, she envies the mother of such a wonderful Teacher. And a higher and better than she had said as much before her (see on Luke, 1. 28). 42. How does our Lord, then, treat it? He is far from condemning it. He only holds up as "blessed rather" another class; "But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it"-in other words, the humblest real saint of God. How utterly alien is this sentiment from the teaching of the Church of Rome, which would doubtless excommunicate any one of its members that dared to talk in such a strain!

His Mother and Brethren Seek to Speak with Him, and the Answer (v. 46-50). 46. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren (see on ch. 13. 55, 56) stood without, desiring to speak with him"and could not come at Him for the press" (Luke, 8. 19). For what purpose these came, we learn from Mark, 3. 20. 21. In His zeal and ardour He seemed indifferent both to food and repose, and "they went to lay hold of Him" as one "beside himself." Mark says graphically. "And the multitude sat about Him"-or around Him.' 47. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee, &c. Absorbed in the awful warnings He was pouring forth, He felt this to be an unseasonable interruption, fitted to dissipate the impression made upon the large audience-such an interruption as duty to the nearest relatives did not require Him to give way to. But instead of a direct rebuke, He seizes on the incident to convey a sublime lesson, expressed in a style of inimitable condescension. 49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples. How graphic is this! It is the language evidently of an eye-witness. and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother:-q.d., 'There stand here the members of a family transcending and surviving this of earth: Filial subjection to the will of my Father in heaven is the indissoluble bond of union between Me and all its members; and whosoever enters this hallowed circle becomes to Me brother, and sister, and mother!

38-50. A SIGN DEMANDED, AND THE REPLY-HIS MOTHER AND BRETHREN SEEK TO SPEAK WITH HIM, AND THE ANSWER. (=Luke, 11. 16, 24-36; Mark, 3. 31-35; Luke, 8. 19-21.) A Sign demanded, and the Reply (r. 38-45). The occasion of this Section was manifestly the same with that of the preceding. 38. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master-Teacher,' equivalent to 'Rabbi'-we would see a sign from thee-"a sign from heaven" (Luke, 11. 16); something of an immediate and decisive nature, to show, not that his miracles were real -that they seemed willing to concede-but that they were from above, not from beneath. These were not the same class with those who charged Him with being in league with Satan (as we see from Luke, 11, 15, 16); but as the spirit of both was similar, the tone of severe rebuke is continued. 39. But he answered and said unto them-"when the people were gathered thick together" (Luke, 11. 29), an evil and adulterous generation. This latter expression is best explained by Jeremiah, 3. 20, "Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord." For this was the relationship in which He stood to the covenant people-"I am married unto you" (Jeremiah, 3. 14). seeketh after a sign. In the eye of Jesus this class were but the spokesmen of their generation, the exponents of the reigning spirit of unbelief. and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40. For as Jonas was-" a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation" (Luke, 11. 30). For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly (Jonah, 1. 17), so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This was the second public announcement of His resurrection three days after His death. (For the first, see John, 2. 19.) Jonah's case was analogous to this, as being a signal judgment of God; reversed in three days; and followed by a glorious mission to the Gentiles. The expression "in the heart of the earth." suggested by the expression of Jonah with respect to the sea (2. 3, in LXX.), means simply the grave, but this considered as the most emphatic expression of real and total entombment. The period during which He was to lie in the grave is here expressed in round numbers, according to the Jewish way of speaking, which was to regard any part of a day. however small, included within a period of days, as a full day. (See 1 Samuel, 30. 12, 13; Esther, 4. 16; 5. 1; ch. 27. 63, 64; &c.) 41. The men of Nineve shall rise in judgment with this genera-picture-no doubt from the pen of an eye-witness. tion, &c. The Ninevites, though heathens, repented at a man's preaching; while they, God's covenant people, repented not at the preaching of the Son of God-whose supreme dignity is rather implied here than expressed. 42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, &c. The queen of Sheba-a tract in Arabia, near the shores of the Red Sea-came from a remote country, "south" of Judea, to hear the wisdom of a mere man, though a gifted one, and was transported with wonder at what she saw and heard (1 Kings, 10. 1-9). They, when a Greater than Solomon had come to them, despised and rejected, slighted and slandered Him. 43-45. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, &c. On

CHAPTER XIII.

Ver. 1-52. JESUS TEACHES BY PARABLES. (=Mark, 4. 1-34; Luke, 8. 4-18; 13. 18-20.) Introduction (v. 1-3). 1. The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea-side]. 2. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship--the article in the received text wants authority-and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. How graphic this

himself impressed with the scene! It was "the same day" on which the foregoing solemn discourse was delivered, when His kindred thought Him "beside Himself" for His indifference to food and repose— that same day, retiring to the sea-shore of Galilee, and there seating Himself, perhaps for coolness and rest, the crowds again flock around Him, and He is fain to push off from them, in the boat usually kept in readiness for Him; yet only to begin, without waiting to rest, a new course of teaching by parables to the eager multitudes that lined the shore. To the parables of our Lord there is nothing in all language to be compared, for simplicity, grace, fulness, and variety of spiritual teaching. They are adapted to

Reason for

MATTHEW, XIII.

Teaching in Parables. all classes and stages of advancement, being under-parables-which our Lord, be it observed, did not stood by each according to the measure of his spiri- begin to do till His miracles were malignantly ascribed tual capacity. 3. And he spake many things unto them to Satan. because they seeing, see not. They "saw," In parables, saying. &c. These parables are SEVEN in for the light shone on them as never light shone Bamber; and it is not a little remarkable that while before: but they "saw not," for they closed their eyes. this is the sacred number, the first FOUR of them and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand. were spoken to the mixed multitude, while the They "heard." for He taught them who " spake as remaining THREE were spoken to the Twelve in never man spake;" but they "heard not," for they private-these divisions, four and three, being them took nothing in, apprehending not the soul-penetratselves notable in the symbolical arithmetic of Scrip- ing, life-giving words addressed to them. In Mark ture. Another thing remarkable in the structure of and Luke, what is here expressed as a human fact these parables is, that while the first of the Seven- is represented as the fulfilment of a divine purposethat of the Sower-is of the nature of an Introduc- "that seeing they may see, and not perceive," &c. tion to the whole, the remaining Six consist of three The explanation of this lies in the statement of the pairs-the Second and Seventh, the Third and Fourth, foregoing verse-that, by a fixed law of the divine and the Fifth and Sixth, corresponding to each other; administration, the duty men voluntarily refuse to each pair setting forth the same general truths, but do, and in point of fact do not do, they at length bewith a certain diversity of aspect. All this can come morally incapable of doing. 14. And in them is hardly be accidental. fulfilled-rather, is fulfilling,' or is receiving its fulfilment-the prophecy of Esaias, which saith (Isaiah, 6. 9, 10-here quoted according to the LXX.), By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, &c. They were thus judicially sealed up under the darkness and obduracy which they deliberately preferred to the light and healing which Jesus brought nigh to them. 16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear:-q.d., Happy ye, whose eyes and ears. voluntarily and gladly opened, are drinking in the light divine.' 17. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired-rather, ' coveted,' to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Not only were the disciples blessed above the blinded just spoken of, but favoured above the most honoured and the best that lived under the old economy, who had but glimpses of the things of the new kingdom, just sufficient to kindle in them desires not to be fulfilled to any in their day. In Luke, 10. 23, 24, where the same saying is repeated on the return of the Seventy-the words, instead of "many prophets and righteous men." are "many prophets and kings" for several of the Old Testament saints were kings.

14-30.

First Parable: THE SOWER (v. 3-9, 18-23). This Parable may be entitled, THE EFFECT OF THE WORD DEPENDENT ON THE STATE OF THE HEART. For the exposition of this parable, see on Mark, 4. 1-9, Beamon for Teaching in Parables (v. 10-17). 10. And the disciples came, and said unto him-"they that were with Him, when they were alone" (Mark, 4. 10)-Why peakest thou unto them in parables? Though before tha He had couched some things in the parabolic form, for more vivid illustration, it would appear that He now, for the first time, formally employed this method of teaching. 11. He answered and said anso them. Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The word mysteries in Scripture is not used in its classical senseof religious secrets,' nor yet of things incomprebenable, or in their own nature difficult to be understod-but in the sense of things of purely divine revelation,' and, usually, things darkly announced under the ancient economy, and during all that period darkly understood, but fully published under the Gospel (1 Corinthians, 2 6-10; Ephesians, 3. 3-6, 8, 9). -The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," then, mean those glorious Gospel truths which at that time only the more advanced disciples could apprecate, and they but partially. but to them it is not given. See on ch. 11. 25.) Parables serve the double purpose of revealing and concealing; presenting the mysteries of the kingdom' to those who know and reush them, though in never so small a degree, in a new and attractive light; but to those who are insenmble to spiritual things yielding only, as so many tales, some temporary entertainment. 12. For whomever hath—1.6., keeps; as a thing which he values, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundancebe will be rewarded by an increase of what he so Each prizes; but whosoever hath not-who lets this go cre unused, as a thing on which he sets no valuefrom him shall be taken away even that he hath-or as it is in Luke 18. 18), "what he seemeth to have," or thinketh he hath.' This is a principle of immense importance, and, like other weighty sayings, appears to have been uttered by our Lord on more than one occasion, and in different connections. (See on ch. 29) As a great ethical principle, we see it in operation everywhere, under the general law of habit; in virtue of which moral principles become stronger by exercise, while by disuse, or the exercise of their contraries, they wax weaker, and at length expire. The ame principle reigns in the intellectual world, and even in the animal-if not in the vegetable also-as the facts of physiology sufficiently prove. Here, however, it is viewed as a divine ordination, as a judicial retribution in continual operation under the divine administration. 13. Therefore speak I to them in

Second and Seventh Parables, or First Pair: THE WHEAT AND THE TARES, and THE GOOD AND BAD FISH (v. 24-30; 36-43; and 47-60). The subject of both these Parables-which teach the same truth, with a slight diversity of aspect-is

THE MIXED CHARACTER OF THE KINGDOM IN ITS PRESENT STATE, AND THE FINAL ABSOLUTE SEPARATION OF THE TWO CLASSES.

The Tares and the Wheat (v. 24-30, 36-43). 24. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying. The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. Happily for us, these exquisite parables are, with like charming simplicity and clearness, expounded to us by the Great Preacher Himself. Accordingly, we pass to v. 36-38. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field, &c. In the parable of the Sower, "the seed is the word of God" (Luke, 8. 11). But here that word has been received into the heart, and has converted him that received it into a new creature, a "child of the kingdom," according to that saying of James (1. 18). "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures.' It is worthy of notice that this vast field of the world is here said to be Christ's own"His field," says the parable. (See Psalm 2. 8.) 25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 38. The tares are the children of the wicked one. As this sowing could only be "while men slept," no blame seems intended, and certainly none is charged upon "the servants:"

Parables of the Tares and the Wheat,

MATTHEW, XIII.

and the Good and Bad Fish,

eous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father as if they had been under a cloud during their present association with ungodly pretenders to their character, and claimants of their privileges, and obstructors of their course. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (See on Mark, 4. 9.)

The Good and Bad Fish (v. 47-50). The object of this brief parable is the same with that of the Tares and Wheat. But as its details are fewer, so its teaching is less rich and varied. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. The word here rendered "net" signifies, a large drag-net, which draws everything after it, suffering nothing to escape, as distinguished from a casting-net,' Mark, 1. 16, 18. The far-reaching efficacy of the Gospel is thus denoted. This Gospel net "gathered of every kind," meaning every variety of character. 48. Which, when it was full, they drew to shore-for the separation will not be made till the number of the elect is accomplishedand sat down-expressing the deliberateness with which the judicial separation will at length be made and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away-lit., 'the rotten,' but here meaning, the foul' or worthless' fish: corresponding to the "tares" of the other parable. 49. So shall it be at the end of the world, &c. See on v. 42. We have said that each of these two parables holds forth the same truth under a slight diversity of aspect. What is that diversity? First, the bad, in the former parable, are represented as vile seed sown amongst the wheat by the enemy of souls; in the latter, as foul fish drawn forth out of the great sea of human beings by the Gospel net itself. Both are important truths-that the Gospel draws within its pale,and into the communion of the visible Church, multitudes who are Christians only in name; and that the injury thus done to the Church on earth is to be traced to the wicked one. But further, while the former parable gives chief prominence to the present mixture of good and bad, in the latter, the prominence is given to the future separation of the two classes.

it is probably just the dress of the parable. 39. The | do iniquity. The former class, as the worst, are men enemy that sowed them is the devil-emphatically "His tioned first. 42. And shall cast them into a furnaceenemy" (v. 25). See Genesis, 3. 15; 1 John, 3. S. By rather, 'the furnace' of fire: there shall be wailing and "tares" is meant, not what in our husbandry is so gnashing of teeth. What terrific strength of language called, but some noxious plant, probably darnel.the "casting" or "flinging" expressive of indigna"The tares are the children of the wicked one" and tion, abhorence, contempt (cf. Psalm 9. 17; Daniel, by their being sown "among the wheat" is meant 12. 2): the furnace of fire" denoting the fierceness of their being deposited within the territory of the the torment: the "wailing" signifying the anguish visible Church. As they resemble the children of the this causes; while the "gnashing of teeth" is a graphic kingdom, so they are produced, it seems, by a similar way of expressing the despair in which its remedilessprocess of "sowing"-the seeds of evil being scatteredness issues (see on ch. 8. 12)! 43. Then shall the rightand lodging in the soil of those hearts upon which falls the seed of the word. The enemy, after sowing his "tares," "went his way"-his dark work soon done, but taking time to develop its true character. 26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also-the growth in both cases running parallel, as antagonistic principles are seen to do. 27. So the servants of the householder came-i.e., Christ's ministers-and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? This well expresses the surprise, disappointment, and anxiety of Christ's faithful servants and people, at the discovery of "false brethren" among the members of the Church. 28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. Kind words these from a good Husbandman, honourably clearing His faithful servants of the wrong done to His field. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? Cf. with this the question of James and John (Luke, 9. 54), "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume" those Samaritans? In this kind of zeal there is usually a large mixture of carnal heat. (See James, 1. 20.) 29. But he said, Nay-It will be done in due time, but not now, nor is it your business.' lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Nothing could more clearly or forcibly teach the difficulty of distinguishing the two classes, and the high probability that in the attempt to do so these will be confounded. 30, 39. Let both grow together-i.e., in the visible Church-until the harvest -till the one have ripened for full salvation, the other for destruction. The harvest is the end of the world-the period of Christ's second coming, and of the judicial separation of the righteous and the wicked. Till then, no attempt is to be made to effect such separation. But to stretch this so far as to justify allowing openly scandalous persons to remain in the communion of the Church, is to wrest the teaching of this parable to other than its proper design, and go in the teeth of apostolic injunctions (1 Corinthians, 5.. and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers. And the reapers are the angels. But whose angels are they? "The Son of man shall send forth His angels" (v. 41). Cf. 1 Peter, 3. 22- Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him." Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them-"in the fire" (v. 40) -but gather the wheat into my barn. Christ, as the Judge, will separate the two classes (as in ch. 25, 32). It will be observed that the tares are burned before the wheat is housed; in the exposition of the parable (v. 41, 43) the same order is observed; and the same in ch. 25. 46-as if, in some literal sense, with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked" (Psalm 91. 8). 41. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom -to which they never really belonged. They usurped their place and name and outward privileges; but "the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners [abide in the congregation of the righteous" (Psalm 1. 5). all things that offend-all those who have proved a stumbling-block to others, and them which

Third and Fourth Parables, or Second Pair: THE MUSTARD SEED and THE LEAVEN (v. 31-33). The subject of both these parables, as of the first pair, is the same, but under a slight diversity of aspect, namely,

THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM, FROM THE SMALLEST BEGINNINGS TO ULTIMATE UNIVER

SALITY.

The Mustard Seed (v. 31, 32). 31. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32. Which indeed is the least of all seedsnot absolutely, but popularly and proverbially, as in Luke, 17. 6, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed," ie., never so little faith.' but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs-not absolutely, but in relation to the small size of the seed, and in warm latitudes proverbially great. and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. This is added, no doubt, to express the amplitude of the tree. But as this seed has a hot, fiery vigour, gives out its best virtues when bruised, and

MATTHEW, XIII. How Jesus was Regarded by His Relatives.