Christ. See Matt. xiii. 11-17; Mark iv. 11, 12; Luke viii. 10; John xii. 40.

1. I suppose Jesus to have applied the words of the prophet to the Jews in his day, who were, in fact, 'selfwilled,' 'willingly ignorant,' and who shut their eyes against the light.

2. The Jews had been peculiarly obstinate at the time the parable of the Sower was spoken. They had accused Christ of casting out devils by Beelzebub, the Prince of the devils, Matt. xii. 24; by which we see they knew he had performed a miracle, but would not confess that he came from God. He shows them, xii. 40-42, that they were more obstinate than the heathen, for the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, but they had heard a greater than Jonah and had not repented; and the Queen of the south came from afar to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but a greater than Solomon had come to them, and they would not hear. Jesus, therefore, spoke the parable of the Sower, to show that their rejecting the truth was not the fault of his gospel, which he compared to good seed; for the reason the seed did not grow, was not because it was bad in itself, for that which was sown in good ground did grow; but because the hearts of the Jews were hard, like the earth by the way side, and filled with errors and sins, like a field covered with thorns.

3. It was not the design of the parable of the Sower to set forth the doctrines of the gospel, but the hardness of heart, and worldly mindedness of the Jews, and the reasons why some even who professed the religion of Christ, should fall away. By showing this in a parable, it exasperated the enemies of Christ the less, and was equally productive of benefit to others.

4. What is said in Matt. xiii. 11-15, and the parallel passages in the other evangelists, we are not under the necessity of understanding as having application to the parables of Christ generally, but to the parable of the Sower only, as those passages are never connected with any other parable.

5. The parable of the Sower made the subject sufficient

ly plain to those who earnestly sought the truth, and was therefore a better way of communicating truths to a mixed multitude, many of whom were determinately ignorant, and had closed their eyes, than a formal declaration of it. Besides, if any did not understand, Jesus was ready to explain his meaning to them, upon their requesting it, as he did to his disciples, Mark iv. 10. It was the custom of the disciples of the Jewish doctors,' says Whitby, 'when they understood not the meaning of their parables, to go unto their Rabbins to inquire the meaning of them; as did our Lord's disciples ask of him the meaning of those parables they understood not. And this, Christ's hearers might have done, had they not been indisposed to receive the doctrines which he taught, and chosen rather to be held in error by the Scribes and Pharisees, than to receive instruction from the mouth of Christ."*

6. The language in Matt. xiii. 11-15 accords with the view here taken, viz. that this parable would assist the Jews to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, if they were so disposed. Like other parables, it was designed to assist the uninstructed understanding; but unlike a plain and literal declaration of facts, it left the Jews in utter ignorance, if they had not teachable dispositions, nor a desire to discover the truth. 'The disciples came and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given;' they therefore need the familiar, the parabolic style more than you, because they have not the same advantages. For whosoever hath to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance;' you, my disciples, had teachable dispositions, and to you knowledge was given, and you had abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath;' those who have little or no desire to learn, shall lose their opportunities of improvement, and their little knowledge shall vanish. Therefore speak I to them

* Com. on Matt. xiii. 10.

m parables, because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand;' I speak to them in parables because they are blind, and deaf, and without understanding: if they wish to learn, the parable will assist them to know the truth; but if they are determinately blind, it will leave them in the same palpable state of ignorance; and is a method of instruction, therefore, more becoming a reasonable teacher, who studies only to address the understanding. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and I should heal them:' as if he had said, This will be the event notwithstanding my instructions; they will not hear, they will not perceive, their eyes have they closed.' Mark has it, Unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables, that seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven,' iv. 11, 12. Christ was ready to instruct them, and they would not. Mark here describes the event that followed the declaration of the parable, not meaning that the parable had the effect to make them blind, for it could not have had such an effect, as it was a beautiful and instructive allegory. To interpret the language of the evangelist as of Christ's end and design in speaking the parable, is utterly inconsistent with his whole system of metaphorical instruction, which was always intended to illustrate truth, and press it forcibly upon the understanding. This was the design of the Old Testament parables, and is so in fact of all parables in all languages. For this main reason any interpretation is to be admitted, before that which makes Christ speak parables in order that the people might not understand. He labored earnestly, to convert the Jews, declaring that he would have gathered them as a hen

gathereth her chickens under her wings, but they would not.-(Matt. xxiii. 37.) He wept over them, and lamented that they had not known the things that belonged to their peace, before it was too late, (Luke xix. 41, 42.) Was not this solemn mockery, if he himself had connived at their blindness, and intentionally hidden these things from their eyes?

II. What are the general rules by which we should be governed in the explanation of parables? There are several rules which, we believe, the student will always find it to his advantage to follow.

First, he should observe the nature of a parable, and remember that he is not to rest in the fable itself, but look beyond it for the moral instruction, or application, as the ultimate end, which is of much more importance than the mere imagery, however beautiful, remarkable, or engaging. Thus says Benson, 'In reading fables, children are commonly delighted with the story: grown persons and wise men look farther. They inquire after the moral. They want to know what instruction is conveyed; or what useful lesson they can learn from the narration.'*

2. I have always found it an advantage to search diligently the context to ascertain the design of a parable. For instance, to some parables a declaration is prefixed, or postfixed, which points out the general scope. The parable of the man who doated on riches is prefaced by the following caution, (Luke xii. 15:) Take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth,' a sentiment which the parable is designed to illustrate. So the parable of the unjust judge is preceded by this expression; 'He spake a parable unto them, that men ought always to pray and not to faint,' (Luke xviii. 2-8;) which very clearly shows the design of the parable. To the parable of the unforgiving servant this passage is subjoined,' So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye orgive not every one his brother their trespasses.' This plainly shows what the parable was intended for. The * Life of Christ, 272.

nineteenth chapter of Matthew closes with these words, Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.' To show how this was to be fulfilled, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard was spoken, which most clearly and forcibly, and in a very interesting manner, sets it forth; and hence the application is subjoined to the parable, xx. 16, So the last shall be first and the first last. Frequently, by consulting the context, where there is no direct declaration of the design, it will not be difficult to penetrate it, by considering the circumstances under which the parable is spoken, the character of the persons to whom it is addressed, and that part of their conduct which would be the most likely to meet the Saviour's attention, either as a subject of his approbation, or disapprobation.

3. Make yourself acquainted with eastern customs, particularly the customs of the Jews, and also with the historical facts related or alluded to in the parable. This is very essential. Scarcely a parable can be understood without the knowledge here spoken of. "Whoever would understand a parable thoroughly,' says Benson, and see the force, beauty and propriety of the moral or application, ought to be well acquainted with the narrative part, the customs or historical facts related or alluded to in the parable.'* Three or four of the most prominent parables in the New Testament are founded upon the customs of Jewish weddings, and cannot be understood at all without a knowledge of those customs. The whole Senergy of the parable of the good Samaritan, depends on our knowledge of the enmity of the Jews to the Samaritans, which was carried to such an extent that it is recorded, (John iv. 9,) The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.' The wounded man is intentionally represented as a Jew, and the Samaritan proves himself a neighbor to him, as though he was a person of another nation. How little can we understand of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, unless we know the opinions

*Life of Christ, p. 268.