22

Then was brought unto him one poffefsed with a devil, blind and dumb and he healed him, infomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and faid (g), Is 24 not this the son of David? But when the Pharifees heard it, they faid, This fellow doth not caft out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself, is brought to defolation: and every city or house, divided againft 26 itself, shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his 27 kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children caft them out? 28 therefore they shall be your judges (b). But if I caft out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom 29 of God is come unto you. Or else (i), how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he firit bind the strong man, and then he 30 will spoil his house? He that is not with me (k), is againft me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad.

31

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of fin and blafphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blafphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto

(g) Is not this the Christ whom we are expecting? See Chap. ix. 27.

(h) Your own disciples take upon them to cast out devils, and in their cafe you willingly ascribe this power to God; why then not in mine? for my works tend evidently to promote the honour of God, and to deftroy the power of Satan.

(i) Take the matter in a familiar and common light.

(k) How can you fo perverfely suppose me to be doing the Devil's work, when you see me overthrowing it? If the cafe were otherwife, if I were not against him, then indeed you might juftly account me his friend; according to your own proverb, He that is not with me, &c. See Mark ix. 40. Luke ix. 50. xi. 23.

32 men. And whosoever (1) fpeaketh a word againft the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whofoever speaketh against the holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the 33 world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the 35 heart the mouth speaketh (m). A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, 36 bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, that every (n) idle word that men shall speak, they shall 37 give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy (0) words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38

Then certain of the Scribes and of the Pharifees answered, saying, Master, we would fee a fign from

(1) Contemptuous and reproachful language against the perfon of Chrift, as in Chap. xi. 19. xiii. 55. might be occafioned by prejudice and mistake, and shall be forgiven when the error is discovered and acknowledged: but blafphemy against the holy Spirit of God, which they were guilty of who faw Christ's miracles, and ascribed them to the power of the devil, was fuch an obftinate resistance againft conviction, as cut off all hope or means of repentance, and was therefore unpardonable. This, however, is not applicable to Christians; for they who believe in Christ, and own him to be their Lord and Saviour, may always have accefs through him to the mercy of God, and find pardon for all their fins upon their true repentance.

(m) Do not pretend that your hearts can be good, while your language is thus wicked and perverfe. As the tree is known by it's fruits, fo is the heart of a man by his words.

(n) By Idle is to be understood, not infignificant, or trifling; but wicked, malicious, profane, words: for, fuch was the language of the Pharifees, which our Lord is here condemning.

(0) Words and speeches proceed from the heart no less than actions, and we are therefore no less accountable for them.

39 thee.

39 thee (p). But he answered and faid to them, Anevil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the 40 prophet Jonas. For as Jonas was (q) three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the 41 heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas, 42 and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the fouth shall rise up in the judgment with. this generation, and shall condemn it: for the came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wifdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon. 43 is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking 44 rest, but findeth none. Then he faith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and gar45 nished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first (r). Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

46 While

(p) Notwithstanding the many miracles Chrift had wrought, they most unreasonably ask for a fign from heaven; as if he were obliged to fatisfy them in any way they should choose: but instead of grati-fying them in their perverseness, he refers them for conviction to a future time, to his death and refurrection.

(q) By three days and three nights the Jews did not always mean three entire days and nights; but reckoned any part of a day for the whole. If a child was born the last hour of a day, it was taken for a whole day in reckoning the time of his circumcifion: in like. manner, in computing the time of Christ's refurrection, a very small part of Sunday is very properly taken for a day.

(r) The Jews were so entirely under the power of superstition and perverseness, that they might well be faid to be, as it were, poffefsed by those evil dispositions: from this lamentable state the gracious offers

46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren (s) stood without, defiring 47 to speak with him. Then one faid unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, 48 defiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? 49 and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth

his hand towards his disciples, and faid, Behold my 50 mother, and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and sister, and mother.

2

CHAP. XIII.

THE fame day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea-fide. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and fat, and the whole multitude stood on the 3 shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow. 4 And when he fowed, some feeds fell by the way-fide,

offers of the gospel, had they not been rejected, would have relieved them; whereas they did but serve them for a pretence to continue. in their obstinacy, and to perfecute the Redeemer of the world, with all the cruelty that their own disappointed pride, and the craft and malice of Satan, could suggest; and thus the last state of those men was worse than the first.

Taking this parable in a more general sense, and bringing it home to ourselves, it may be confidered as an awakening admonition, never to flacken our diligence and care in the performance of our duty; never to imagine that we have already attained, or are already perfect. Wh Whenever we presumptuously flatter ourselves that our house is swept and garnished, and needs no further preparation for the holy Spirit, the wicked one will enter in and dwell there. And thus by false security and spiritual pride, our last state becomes worse than the first.

(s) Obferve on one hand, how our Saviour guards against the religious worship fince paid to his mother. Observe on the other hand, that every one is secure of his favour, in proportion as he doth the will of God, and leads a good life. See Luke xi. 27.

5 and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon ftony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they 6 had no deepness of earth: And when the fun was up, they were scorched, and because they had not 7 root, they withered away. And fome fell among thorns: and the thorns sprung up, and choked them. 8 But others fell into good ground, and brought forth

fruit, some an hundred-fold, fome fixty-fold, fome 9 thirty-fold. Who (a) hath ears to hear, let him 10 hear. And the difciples came and faid unto him, 11 Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He

anfwered and faid unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of 12 heaven, but to them it is not given. For (b) whofoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from 13 him shall be taken away, even that he hath. Therefore fpeak I to them in parables: because they feeing, fee not: and hearing, they hear not, neither 14 do they understand (c). And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Efaias, which faith (d), By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand: and feeing, 15 ye shall fee, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull

(a) See Chap. xi. 15.
(b) See Luke xiii. 16.

(c) The multitude, who came to me only to gratify their curiofity, and neglect to make proper reflections on what they hear, would receive no benefit by the plainest discourses: however, if there be any well disposed persons among them, fuch easy comparisons as these are most apt to engage their attention.

(d) Though they hey hear, yet they will not understand. Their not improving by what they heard was not owing to any decree of God, but to their own inattention and perverseness. They closed their eyes, that they might not fee, and be converted, and set right. It is through men's own obstinacy, that they continue in error and fin: for God is ever ready to extend his compaffion and gracious affiftance to the pious and humble.