God pleases, or claims of us. To do His will, is to strive by all means to serve Him, and to live daily according to the spirit of the Lord's prayer, 'Thy will be done,' etc. He has made known to us His will in the Scriptures. We are enabled to do it, only as we obtain His gracious aid. Without the Holy Spirit to renew and constrain us, none can do His commandments, because all are utterly depraved by nature, and disinclined to His service. Those who do His will are thus of course in the closest relation to Him. They are His workmanship-united to Him by faith -they cleave to Him in love-and they have His indwelling, by the Spirit. How wonderful this condescending grace! His true disciples are His nearest relatives! The poorest beggar, like Lazarus, may be His brothermay be near to Him as a mother! Nay, instead of Mary, His mother in the flesh, being worshipped as having such controlling influence with Christ in heaven, which is the mockery of the Romish Church, any poor faithful disciple stands in the mother's place, can

2 And he taught them many things by parables,2 and said unto them in his doctrine,

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow :

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony5 ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns;7 and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, 2 Ps. 78. 2. ver. 34. 3 ver. 9, 23. ch. 1. 16. 4 Gé. 15. 11. 5 Eze. 11. 19; 36. 26. 6 Ps. 1. 4. Ja. 1. 11. 7 Jer. 4. 3. 8 He. 6. 7, 8.

attain to the honour of being His nearest relative! Instead of paying divine honour to the Virgin Mary, as the Romanists do, let each strive to stand in this closest relationship, as His brother, sister, mother! Christ came in the flesh mainly for His great spiritual work, and His spiritual relatives are those who are nearest to His heart, here and hereafter. Strange, that in the face of such plain declarations, the Romish Church should exalt His mother Mary above all creatures, and even pray to her, and worship her, as above our Lord Himself!

and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And 10 when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto 11 you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, 12 all these things are done in parables:

12 That 13 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 them.

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

14 The sower 14 soweth the

word.

Christian deeds may spring up and bring forth after us for ever.

9. Who hath ears, etc. See notes on Matt. 13. 9.

10. Alone. Mark is thus particular. 11. The mystery, etc. See notes on Matt. 13. 11.- T Them that are without. Luke has it 'to others,' that is, the unrenewed, that are not of the genuine discipleship. This was a phrase applied by the Jews to the heathen, and by the apostles to unbelievers. 1 Cor. 5. 12, 13. Col. 4. 5.

12. See notes on Matt. 13. 13-15.

Lest at any time, etc. This expresses, not the object of the divine method, but the result of their dull understand

15 And these are they by the way-side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh 15 immediately, and taketh away 16 the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root 17 in themselves, and so endure but 18 for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately 19 they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the 20 cares of this world, and the deceitfulness 21 of riches, and the 22 lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.28

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as

15 1 Pe. 5. 8. Rev. 12. 9. 17 Job 19. 28.

1. 15.

2 Tim. 4. 10. 16, 17.

18 Job 26. 10. 20 Lu. 14. 18-20. 1 21 Pr. 33. 5. 23 Isa. 5. 2, 4.

16 He. 2. 1. 19 2 Tim. Tim. 6. 9, 17. 22 1 Jno. 2.

ing, and of the judicial blindness to which they are given over.

13. Know ye not, etc. That is, Do ye not understand the application of this parable? Observe the tender condescension of our Lord to the weak understanding and dull perception of His disciples; stooping to inquire if they have comprehended His teachings, and following after them to enlighten their minds and explain Himself.

17. Offended. Takes a dislike, stumbles and turns aside.

19. Other things. Some things always remain unpossessed and longed for by the worldling. Only to the Christian there remaineth a rest.

C

hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit,24 some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a 25 bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For 26 there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. 23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

24 And he saith unto them,

24 Rom. 7. 4. Col 1. 10. 2 Pe. 1 8. 25 See on Matt. 5. 15. 26 Ec. 12. 14. Matt. 10. 26. Lu. 12. 2. 1 Cor. 4. 5.

21, 22. These verses occur in Matthew, but in different connections, and they are such as would naturally be spoken more than once. See Matt. 5. 15; 10. 26; 11. 15, etc. Here, and in Luke 18. 16, etc., the illustration is brought forward,-1st, To show that He teaches in parables, not to conceal but to explain to them; and that He is ever most ready to give an explanation of His doctrines to all who seek it, and to lead them into all truth. He is the True Light, etc. And, 2d, To set before them their duty especially in the ministerial work-to hold forth the word of life as light-bearers in the world, and to make known what they hear from Him. See Phil. 2. 16. Luke 8. 18. Bengel considers the connection to be this: -the earth covers the seed for a proper time, but ye ought at once to put forth the word which ye have heard. 22. This passage refers to the fuller manifestations which they were yet to expect as regards His kingdom, and that the mystery of grace, hid from ages, was intended to come abroad, and to be published to the world, 1 Cor. 4. 5. That, therefore, His private instructions to them were for most public use. See Col. 2. 3. The phraseology here employed is found also in other connections, and with other bearings- -see Matt. 10. 26-and is just such as would naturally be variously used and applied

Take heed what 27 ye hear: with 28 what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you; and unto you that hear shall more be given.

25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from 29 him shall be taken even that which he hath.

26 And he said, So 30 is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

by our Lord. It is specially spoken against hypocrisy, the leaven of the Pharisees.

23. If any man, etc. The considerations just urged make an additional call for their earnest attention.

24. What ye hear. Luke has it, 'how ye hear.' Both are important, and parts of the idea. We are not to hear everything from every quarter. We should not run after novelties and errors, like the Athenians. Acts 17. 21. Satan enters in at EAR-GATE. Bunyan.

-And when we hear the truth, we are to ponder it also. See to it what ye hear; discriminate, and give attention to the hearing of God's truth; treasure it up, and employ it for good also to others. With what measure, etc. According to your improvement of what you receive, shall it be further dispensed to you; and as you shall be disposed to deal it out for good to others, so shall you profit by it yourselves, and get increase of knowledge. Diligence in Christ's service is a sure method of gain and of growth in grace. This, therefore, is to incite and encourage, as well as to warn and rebuke us in our inquiries.—¶ Unto you that hear, to wit, attentively. the meaning may be, more shall be demanded of you who hear-addition shall be made, i.e., of account-shall be laid on,' as the term is. Alford.

Or,

In the 'Synopsis of the Harmony' in the notes on Matt., this parable is placed as parallel with that of the tares,' Matt. 13. 24-53. But it is plain, upon examination, that it is quite different, and teaches another doctrine with a different illustration of the kingdom. It was probably spoken in the same connection. This is the only parable peculiar to Mark. Modern objectors would try to prove that this is intended for a report of the parable of the tares, with the tares left out by mistake! This shows the spirit of such critics, and how eager they are to seize upon anything which may be turned by them into a reflection upon the Scripture. This parable seems to be spoken mainly for the ministers of Christ, who preach the word, or sow the seed. They are to know that the growth is secret, hidden from their view, having a law of development not coming to fruit at once; therefore they are not to be impatient if they see no immediate result of their labours, but they are to have confidence in God. Instead of working and worrying always at the root-instead of digging always at first principles, or preaching always the mere elements, or the evidences-they are to consider that the seed will spring up as though the earth brought it forth of itselfthat it does not live by their constant working at it and watching it. Nay, that this impatient meddling may so disturb the growth as to kill it. They must be content to leave the result with God, and go on at their further work of upbuilding-leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, going on to perfection.

27. Sleep and rise. That is, having

29 But when the fruit is

sown the seed, he goes about his ordinary course of sleep at night, and rising to labour by day. Knoweth not how. As regeneration is a work of the Spirit, which, like the wind's blowing, cannot be traced, except in its secret workings, or from its effects, so is this secret growth of the seed. See John 3. 8. Stier says, 'We know as little of the growing above ground, as of the growing under ground.' So also the idea may be—he watcheth not how.

28. This is the illustration. The earth to all appearance bringeth forth fruit of itself. The seed is cast in by the sower, and secretly it germinates, and while he is about other occupations it springs up. This, we know, does not exclude rain and sunshine, and human care. Nay, without them, the seed would rot and perish. But the growth is not dependent on the Sower to give life; there is a law of development: first the blade, then the ear, etc. And as the earth seems to bring forth, of herself, out of her own bosom, yet really by such divine influences as the rain and dew and sunshine; so here, in the work of grace, and with the secret development of the incorruptible seed of which we are born. 1 Peter 1. 23. This would direct us to the patient waiting upon God. James 5. 7. Thus, after the parable of the sower, which might seem rather to discourage their effort, they are here taught the law of gracious development under God. They must plant and water, but God giveth the increase. 1 Cor. 3. 6. There are laws in grace as there are in nature; and as the seed grows by gradual processes, so we may expect ordinarily, and as the law of God's gracious kingdom, that good planting will be followed by corresponding fruit, and that without any lifegiving power in the man who sows.- ¶ The earth—of herself. This means, of course, the earth' that is sown, since it is folly to look for a harvest without seed. And also it means,

that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They1o that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners11 to repentance.

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

9 Lu. 15. 1-5. 10 Matt. 9. 12, 13. Lu. 5. 31, 32. 11 Isa. 55. 7. Matt. 18. 11. Lu. 19. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 9-11. 1 Tim. 1. 15.

9. 10-17. 2. 15-22. 5. 29-39.

John.

19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom 12 is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then 13 shall they fast in those days.

*

21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment; else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: 14 but new wine must be put into new bottles.

23 And 15 it came to pass, that he went through the corn13 Acts 13. 2. * Or raw, 14 Job 32. 19. Ps. 119. 80, 83. 15 Matt. 12. 1, etc. Lu. 6. 1, etc.

12 Matt. 25. 1. or unwrought.

Mark usually pursues the chronological order of the events. But here is a variation, § 58 being brought in at this point, though the feast occurred some months after the call.

PART IV.

Our Lord's Second Passover, and the Events until the Third.

Time, one year.

CORN ON THE SABBATH-DAY. On the way to Galilee?

John.

16. Having observed that He ate. This question was started after the feast. They were not present, as it was in the house of a publican; but they observed that He went for this purpose.

Matt.

Mark.

12. 1-8. 2. 23-28.

Luke. 6. 1-5.

23. Ears of corn. This does not mean what we call corn, but wheat or barley. It was ripe at that time. They rubbed it in their hands and ate. On this paragraph, see Matt. 12. 1-8, notes. This is a customary way of appeasing hunger in Palestine at this day.