Page images
PDF
EPUB

hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then 29 that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while 30 ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I

foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you? This only would I learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Ga. iii. 1, 2, 3. This wisdom (of the world) descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish; for where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. Ja. iii. 15, 16. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Ja. iv. 4.

28 Wilt thou then that we go, &c.] Master (said John), we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not; for he that is not against us is for us. And it came to pass, when the time was come, that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face, and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? Lu. ix. 49-54. I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver "such an one" (as "the incestuous person") unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorifying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Co. v. 3-7. Sufficient to "such a man" (as "the incestuous person") is this punishment which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise, ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore, I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obe

dient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also. For if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it for your sakes, forgave I it, in the person of Christ, lest Satan should get an advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Co. ii. 6-11. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 1 The. v. 14. Keep yourselves in the love of God; and of some have compas sion, making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted by the flesh. Jude 22, 23.

30 Both grow together, &c.] See verse 39. and chap. iii. 12. Those servants (in the parable of the marriage of the king's son) went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; for many are called, but few are chosen. Mat. xxii. 10-14. At midnight there was a great cry made, Behold the bridgroom cometh; go "ye" ("the foolish and the wise virgins") out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves; and while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not; watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. And before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Mat. xxv. 6-13. 32. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. Mal. iii. 18. Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]

will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The king- 31 dom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all 32 seeds but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and

make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Co. iv. 5.

To the reapers.] See verses 39-43. Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after. 1 Ti. v. 24.

And bind them in bundles.] A man is risen to pursue thee (said Abigail to David), and to seek thy soul; but the soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God, and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. 1 Sa. xxv. 29.

Burn them.] Then shall he (the judge) say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. Mat. xxv. 41. The defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness; there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down and consume the branches thereof. When the boughs "thereof" (the "vineyard" of the Lord) are withered, they shall be broken off. The women come, and set them on fire for it is a people of no understanding; therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour. Is. xxvii. 10, 11. Behold, "it" ("the vine branch") is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burnt. Is it meet for any work? Behold, when it was whole it was meet for no work. How much less shall it be meet for any work when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, As the vine tree among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them. Ez. xv. 4-7. Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Mal. iv. 1. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John xv. 6.

[blocks in formation]

floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. Lu. iii. 17.

31 Put he forth unto them.] See verse 24. And as they heard these things (that the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost), he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. Lu. xix. 11. Then began he to speak to the people this parable (that of the vineyard let out to wicked husbandmen). Lu. xx. 9.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed.] Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. Mar. iv. 30, 31, 32. Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. Lu. xiii. 18, 19.

32 The least of all seeds.] There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen. Ps. lxxii. 16-19. It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he

shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their

becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in

swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Is. ii. 2, 3, 4. See Mi. iv. 1, 2, 3. Afterward, he (the Lord) brought me again unto the door of the house (in the vision of the holy waters). And behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; for the fore front of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the outer gate, by the way that looketh eastward, and behold, there ran out waters on the right side; and when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. Ez. xlvii. 1-5. Thou sawest (said Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar) till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image (the great image, whose brightness was excellent, and the form thereof terrible) upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer thrashing-floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. And in the days of these kings (fore-shadowed in the king's dream) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever! Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is certain, and the interpretation sure. Da. ii. 34, 35. 44, 45. Who hath despised the day of small things, for they shall rejoice. Zec. iv. 10. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also; yea, many people and

[ocr errors]

strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you. Zec. viii. 20-23. It shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night; but it shall come to pass, that at eveningtime it shall be light; and it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea. In summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name One: all the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner-gate, and from the tower of Hannaneel unto the king's wine-presses. Zec. xix. 7-10. In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said (the number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty.) Ac. i. 15. And when “they” (“the elders of the Church") heard "it" (“ erkat Paul had wrought among the Gentiles"), they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe. Ac. xxi. 20. I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God: so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, l have fully preached the Gospel of Christ. Ro. xv. 18, 19. And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and f his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and

ever. Re. xi. 15.

So that the birds of the air.] In the moun tain of the height of Israel will I plant "it" ("the high cedar"), and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedst, and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches theres shall they dwell; and all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken, and have done it. Ez. xvii. 23, 24. All the fowls of heaven made their nests in "his" boughs (of the "cedar in Lebanon," denoting "the Assyrian"); and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow

the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The 33 kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and 34 without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be 35 fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept

dwelt all great nations. Ez. xxxi. 6. The leaves "thereof" (of" the tree in the midst of the earth," which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream) were fair, and the fruit thereof much; and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heavens dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. Da. iv. 12.

33 Like unto leaven.] Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. Lu. xiii. 20, 21. Your glorying is not good; know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened; for even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Co. v, 6, 7. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Ga. v. 9.

Till the whole was leavened.] The righteous shall hold on his way; and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. Job xvii. 9. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Pr. iv. 18. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain, unto the earth. Ho. vi. 3. Every branch that beareth fruit he (the Lord) purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. John xv. 2. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now; howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come. John xvi. 12, 13. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, being confident of this very thing; that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment. Ph. i. 6. 9. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure! Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Ph. ii. 13, 14, 15. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1 Th. v. 23, 24. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pe. iii. 18.

34 These things spake Jesus.] See verse 13. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it ; but without a parable spake he not unto them. Mar. iv. 33, 34.

35 It might be fulfilled.] See verse 14. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. Mat. xxi. 4, 5.

I will open my mouth, &c.] I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old. Ps. lxxviii. 2.

I will utter things.] See chap. xiii. 11. I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp. Ps. xlix. 4. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. Is. xlii. 9. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Am. iii. 7. It shall be more tolerable for Tyre, and Sidon, at the judgment, than for you. Lu. x. 14. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory. 1 Co. ii. 7. Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. 2 Ti. i. 8, 9, 10. (Paul to Titus) in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times manifested his word, through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour. Tit. i. 2, 3. God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath, in these last days, spoken unto us by his Son. He. i. 1. of which salvation the prophets have inquired,

36 secret from the foundation of the world. 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 37 field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the

and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you, by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Pe. i. 10-12. From the foundation of the world.] Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Mat. xxv. 34. Thou lovedst me (said Jesus to the Father) before the foundation of the world. John xvii. 24. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Ac. xv. 18. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. 1 Pe. i. 18. 21. All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Re. xiii. 8. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Re. xvii. 8.

36 Jesus sent the multitude away.] And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. Mat. xiv. 22. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. Mat. xv. 39. And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. Mar. vi. 45. They that had eaten (of the seven loaves and a few small fishes) were about four thousand, and he sent them away. viii. 9.

Mar.

And went into the house.] See verse 1. and chap. ix. 28. When they were alone he expounded all things to his disciples. Mar. iv. 34.

Declare unto us.] See verse 11. Then answered Peter and said unto "him" ("Jesus"),

Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding! Mat. xv. 15, 16. When he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. Mar. vii. 17. What is this that "he" ("Jesus") saith unto us, A little while and ye shall not see me; and again a little while and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while?

We cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. John xvi. 17-20.

37 He that soweth the good seed.] See verse 24. 27.

Is the Son of man.] See verse 41. and chap. x. 40. When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea-Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say thai thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Mat. xvi. 13-16. Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Ac. i. 8. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed. Ro. xv. 8. 18. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing; neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1 Co. iii. 5, 6, 7. God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. He. i. 1. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard hum He. ii. 3.

« PreviousContinue »