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The Gospel of Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew Pasquier Quesnel Translated by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, D.D., Vicar of Islington and now Bishop of Calcutta. Revised by the Rev. Henry A. Boardman, D.D. Philadelphia: Parry & McMillan, 1855. Chapter XIII. Sect. I. Parable Of The Sower. Blind Hearts. Blessed Are The Eyes Which See. 1. THE same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. An evangelical labourer allows himself but little rest. His charity makes him quit the comforts of his house and family, to place himself in a readiness to relieve the wants of souls. 2. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. The word of God, preached after a holy manner invites the faithful. The love of it is more quick and ardent in the meaner sort, than in the rich and learned. We see here a representation of the church, which consists of the people united to their pastors. These, being more exposed to violent tossings and storms, are, as it were, in a ship, while those continue at ease on the shore. 3. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; Let us not be discouraged at the obscurity which is in the parables of the Scripture. Truth conceals herself under them, not that she may not be discovered, but that she may oblige us to search after her. It is a double gain, to attain to the knowledge of divine truths, both by the gift of God and by (means of) our own desires, endeavours, and prayers. Our heart is God’s field; it belongs to him to sow it. It is a very great misfortune to deny ourselves the benefit of this divine seed, by neglecting to read or hear the word of God. 4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Let us take care lest our heart become a highway, open to all the world, trampled by passengers, covered with the dust of vanity, fouled by the dirt of pleasures, hardened by habitual sin, and exposed to devils. Distraction of mind, diversions, and business, are the fowls which devour the good seed, filling the heart with vain, earthly, and dangerous things. 5. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. What is a man the better for not having a heart like the highway, if he has one which is hard and stony as to divine matters? Unless good thoughts and desires enter deep into the heart, and are there held fast by charity, as by their root, the heat of a contrary lust will scorch them, and make them soon wither away. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: The terrestrial world is full of good desires, projects of con version, and schemes of retreat; but the thorns of secular lusts make them miscarry. If we do not labour to pluck up these thorns, they will certainly grow up and choke all the divine seed in us. 8. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. The good ground is the good heart; none is such, but through the mercy of God and the grace of Jesus Christ. It was a mercy peculiar to thee, Lord, to purchase at so dear a rate such barren and accursed ground, full of thorns and briers, and fit only to be burned, that thou mightest make it a rich and blessed soil, fertile in every kind of good fruit. Blind and miserable is that man who attributes this work to himself, and gives not thee the glory of it, my Saviour! 9. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Who, Lord, has ears to hear thee, except he to whom thou givest, continuest, and openest them; and by whom thou causest thy voice to be heard in a way peculiar to thyself? 10. And the disciples came, and said unto him. Why speakest thou unto them in parables? Man would always fain know the reason and method of the divine conduct. Let him but thoroughly conceive what it 13 to be a sinner, and he will then soon understand what he de serves. The very least degree of knowledge is yet more than is due to him who deserves nothing but eternal darkness. 11. 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. Christ, who with scorn refuses to satisfy the crafty and malicious curiosity of the Pharisees, answers that of his disciples, which is plain, innocent, and honest. If faith, which is the fountain and foundation of salvation, be a free gift, which God bestows not upon all, what acknowledgments then are due to him from those who have received it, without deserving it any more than those who have not! The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven is so much neglected by the generality of Christians, that it seems as if they had no concern at all in it, or that it was not worth their pains. Others apply their studies to it, after a manner as entirely human, and with as little faith and prayer, as if it was not a gift. Let us study it with care, but by the light of faith. God, the master of his own gifts, confers the understanding of his word and mysteries upon whom he pleases. Let us be careful to adore this dreadful election, and to humble ourselves, without desiring to know more. 12. For whomsoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. The use of grace attracts more; faith gives a man the knowledge of the truths of Christianity. But from whence do this use of grace and this faith proceed, but even from grace itself? The less belief, respect, and relish one has for these truths, the more one deserves to be deprived of them. One divine gift prepares us for another: he who, by a holy kind of usury, improves them for his Master, enriches himself. 13. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. Blindness is a punishment of sin, and the source of a great many. Obscurity, which exercises the faith, excites the de sires, and increases the prayers of true Christians, serves to punish the incredulity, distaste, and slothfulness of others. In order to profit by the word of God, it is necessary, before we read or hear it, to beg of him the seeing eye and the hearing ear; namely, a heart which may understand and love the truth. 14. 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: Let us take warning from the blindness and hardness of these wretches, for fear lest this prophecy should again be fulfilled in us. God makes known his judgments, that they may be avoided; but this knowledge becomes an occasion of condemnation, if men are not the better for it. 15; 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 heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. An affection to worldly things, a forgetfulness of divine, a disrelish of God’s word, and a spirit of contradiction to his truths, do generally produce blindness and hardness of heart in Christians, as they did in the Jews. This deplorable condition, wherein the sick person is afraid of being cured, is more common than we imagine. The delighting in all kind of loose and licentious discourse, and shunning all opportunities of hearing that which is pious, is the way by which men arrive at last at stupidity of heart. By opening our eyes to a false light, and to whatever gratifies our senses, passions, and curiosity, and by closing them against the light of the gospel, they at length continue shut against every thing which tends to salvation. 16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. How much more blessed are those eyes, which, without having ever seen Jesus Christ, see his religion confirmed by his resurrection, by the faith of all people, by the tradition of all ages, by the blood of all the martyrs, by the writings of all the fathers, by miracles of all kinds, and by the lives of all the saints! Men are not thankful enough to God for the favour of being born in an age, country, and family en lightened with the gospel; and for either having never had the prejudices of birth, habit, and example to struggle with, or for having surmounted them. 17. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired 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. How much to be admired are those saints who lived only by faith, by a faith altogether pure, which relied solely upon God, and was destitute of all the supports which ours finds in the wonders of seventeen ages! The more advantages we have above them, the more criminal is our abuse of them, and our baseness the more punishable. Let us be persuaded that it is more profitable for us to see and hear Christ with the eyes and ears of the heart, than with those of the body. Let us by no means envy the Jews this last advantage, which tended only to their condemnation; and let us praise God for having vouchsafed us the first, whereof we were more unworthy per haps than they. Sect. II. The Explication Of The Parable. 18. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. Hear ye, to whom God is pleased to impart the knowledge of his mysteries, to whom he discovers his truths, to whom no means of instruction in the way of salvation is wanting, while so many others are abandoned to their darkness, to ignorance and error, to seducers and blind guides. Do ye therefore comprehend and value your happiness, love and practise what ye know, and by your life glorify him who bestows so many mercies upon you. 19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understand- eth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. Who does not perceive, in this description, the generality of the world, and the manner in which they hear the word of God? Contempt, neglect, and want of attention in respect of this word, are greater sins, and more severely punished, than men are apt to think. The heart which will not vouch safe to hear God, deserves to be delivered up as a prey to the spirit of error. It is the proper and most usual employment of the wicked one, to endeavour to render fruitless all inspirations, truths of the gospel, and divine seed which has been sown in our hearts. Men watch with great care that they may not lose the seed of their ground; but they do not at all regard losing that of their soul. 20. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21. Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. We see but too much of these kinds of forwardness, warmth, and joy, on the account of the truths of Christianity and of the word of God, which come to nothing, or to what is next to nothing. The fruit of the word is not to be known except in times of trial, either internal from the conflicts of concupiscence, or external from the tribulations of the world. Let us, but without anxiety, fear lest our fruits should be without root, our beginnings without perseverance, and our works without charity. Lord, grant that I may hear thee, that I may taste thy word, and that I may be thine, not only for a while, but always, even forever! 22. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Whatever inclination a man may have to piety and to Christian truths, the love of riches and worldly things, if it be predominant, ruins all. To rely upon riches is to lie down upon a bed of thorns. To seek for peace amid the cares of the world, is to seek it in the very bosom of inquietude itself. The word cannot bear fruit in a heart possessed with the love of riches, and with a design of raising a fortune in the world. 23. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. The seed in the good ground is the word in a faithful heart. To hear, to understand, and to bear fruit, are the three signs of this good ground or faithful heart. There are several degrees of fidelity and holiness; but none without the fruit of good works. To be in the most perfect state is not absolutely necessary, but only to be faithful to God in that to which he is pleased to call us. Convert my heart, my God, into good ground, and make it bear the fruit which it ought to render thee! Not to render thee all the fruit of thy own seed, is a piece of injustice, ungratefulness, and theft. Lord, preserve me from this guilt by thy grace! Sect. III. The Parable Of The Tares. 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: The church is God’s field, which he cultivates by his grace and his ministers, wherein he sows no other than good grain, where none become such but by charity and other Christian virtues, which are the plant and seed of God. What favour, what mercy is it, to be the wheat of God, sown in his field by his own hand! Grant, Lord, that I may therein continue, grow up, and be still fruitful, even till the time of harvest! 25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. In the church on earth, the wicked are mingled with the righteous; no place but heaven is altogether pure and free from mixture. All societies have their tares; the good grain is not offended nor scandalized at them, but suffers them with patience. Wo to those negligent and drowsy pastors, who let the souls under their care be corrupted by error or sin! Whoever sows these tares in the church, is the enemy of God; and he may, in some manner, be said to sow them who does not hinder the sowing of them. Wake the pastors, my God, and open their eyes, that they may perceive the tares which choke thy seed! 26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. When the righteous begin to improve and make a progress in virtue, they then begin to experience the malice of the wicked. Afflictions do not make men wicked, but they show what they are. God does not usually permit his elect to be exposed to the vexation of the wicked, until they are strong enough to undergo the trial of suffering. The mixture of the one with the other is necessary to instruct, purify, and sanctify, and keep the elect in humility. 27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? Adorable is the divine conduct in this mixture of the good and bad. A faithful and vigilant minister fails not to discover the tares, and to address himself to God by prayer, in order to lament the misfortune before him, to inquire after the cause of it, and receive from him the rules of his behaviour on this occasion. It is under these evils which befall the church, that the zeal and application of a true pastor are fully known. 28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? God answers his faithful servants, and informs them concerning the devil’s artifices and attempts against his church, when they apply themselves to him in the way of prayer and pastoral vigilance. The grand enemy of mankind introduces sometimes into the church, and into religious societies, wicked persons, to favour his designs. A zeal, which is rash and precipitate, and not according to knowledge, is as much to be feared as one which is too slow and inactive. But that zeal is commendable which is ruled by God’s direction, which does not anticipate his designs, and which is free from all indecent passion. God judges quite otherwise than men of this mixture of the good and evil. He alone knows the good which he intends to produce from it, and how far his patience toward the wicked should extend, in order either to their conversion or condemnation, or to the sanctification of the righteous. 29. But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Men often persecute a true Christian, while they intend only to prosecute an impious person, for want of giving heed to this prohibition. God spares the wicked, only in consideration of the elect. He will not pass judgment upon the former, until he completes his mercy toward the latter. A zeal for the extirpation of heretics and wicked men, not regulated by these words of our blessed Saviour, allows no time to the one to grow strong in goodness, or to the other to forsake their evil courses. They are of a spirit very opposite to his, who care not if they root up the wheat, provided they can but gather up the tares. 30. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I 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. We ought patiently to bear with the wicked in this life, because it is God’s appointment that they should continue mingled with the good to the end of the world. God not only suffers them here, but by his power he makes them instrumental to one another in promoting his wise designs. For the wickedness of the wicked is so inflamed by the virtue of the good, that, even until their condemnation, they have a gradual increase in sensual desire and wealth, in honour and power; and the virtue of good men improves so much by the others wickedness, that they proceed from one degree of grace and piety to another, until their consummation. These two different effects depend upon the justice and mercy of God: upon his justice, which permits and punishes all the evil in the one; upon his mercy, which works and rewards all the good in the other. Do men sufficiently apprehend, what it is to be violently plucked from the earth to which they cleave, to be bound up like a bundle of tares, and cast into eternal fire? And yet to this the temporal felicity of the wicked comes at last. The garner of God is heaven; it is the bosom of God himself. Thither his elect, who are his wheat, are carried, after having been bruised and ground by persecutions in this world, in order to become his bread in eternity, as he will be also eternally theirs. Sect. IV. The Parables Of The Mustard Seed, And The Leaven. 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: This parable is a representation of the progress of the gospel in the world, of the growth of grace in the soul, and of the establishment of the church, which is founded upon the humility of a God stooping to the form of a servant. This humiliation is the proper mark and character of all his works, ever since his incarnation, as also that of true piety; and it is this virtue, which the ministers, and all the sons of the church, ought to study with the greatest care. 32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Truth is depressed in this world, and advanced in the other. The saints find in it their eternal rest, and reap the first-fruits of it in their heart, even here below. The more humble a man is in this life, the more shall he be exalted in the next. These are two characters of the true church, and of the doc trine of the gospel, upon which it is built, to be, according to the order and appointment of their founder, very small in their beginning, and very extensive in their progress and continuance. Our duty is to aim chiefly at our own abasement; it belongs to God to enlarge and to exalt us. What are, generally speaking, the first impressions of grace, the first motions of faith in the heart, but only a little spark which kindles the fire of charity there, a grain of mustard seed which fills it with its strength and virtue? Let us not neglect and despise anything. 33. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Whatever use we make of our understanding, our will, and our body, without the leaven of faith and charity, is disagree able and nauseous to God. The divinity united to the human nature in Christ; the gospel diffused throughout the world; the Spirit of God working in a sinner’s heart; and the sacra mental bread nourishing a Christian soul, these are the different sorts of leaven which thy wisdom, my God, has found out, to render man altogether spiritual, to raise him to the love of heavenly things, and to make him bear some re semblance of thyself. How can a heart, so often filled with the wholesome leaven of thy body, Jesus, still retain its heaviness and inclination toward the earth? Let thy Holy Spirit, I beseech thee, cause mine to rise, to be united and to cleave inseparably to thee! 34. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: Let us learn from these parables to discover the Christian world in the natural, the former being represented in the latter. Christ descends from invisible mysteries to these visible descriptions and parables, to excite us to raise our minds from these sensible objects to the invisible wonders which are in God and his church. 35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. The mysteries, which lay hid in God from all eternity, and in types and prophecies from the foundation of the world, are at length disclosed and fulfilled in and by Jesus Christ. How happy are Christians in being born in the times of manifestation, if they make a good use of this blessing by their faith! Let us leave the covetous wretch to dig to the centre after treasures of no duration, and the naturalist to lose himself in searching into the secrets of nature; the treasures and study of a Christian are Jesus Christ and his mysteries, which he discovers to us by his word. Thou openest thy adorable mouth, Eternal Wisdom, to instruct me in them; but this is all in vain, unless thou openest my heart, so as to make it thoroughly apprehend them. 36. 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. The clear manifestation of gospel truths is only for the true disciples of Christ. In order to understand them fully, it is necessary to recollect ourselves in and with him, by re tiring at least into the house of our own heart, to approach him by faith, and to make our addresses to him in prayer. Why does Christ speak in parables, but only to conceal his truths and mysteries from the wise men of the age, to excite the desire of God’s children, and to inform them that the knowledge of God and his mysteries is a favour which they must earnestly beg of him? Sect. V. The Parable Of The Tares Explained. 37. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; Yes, Lord, we acknowledge it with joy, that it is thou alone who formest the saints, and sowest in their hearts all that is good, by a grace which is altogether free. It is thou who performest all this, as Son of man; namely, by the mysterious union of the two natures in thy person, by the merits of thy life and death, by the holiness of thy Spirit, and by the power of thy grace, which is the fruit of the mysteries and sacrifice finished and completed in thy flesh upon the cross. 38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; Christian faith and hope oblige us to look upon ourselves as children of the kingdom of God, provided we live according to his laws and precepts. Can we, then, ever lose sight of a kingdom to which we believe we are appointed? How can our heart but be filled with it, and direct all its thoughts and designs toward it? Here is a dreadful description of a sinner, yet such a one as is true, it being given us by Christ himself. They are no other than tares, who choke the good seed, and hinder it from growing up in the love of truth, and from bringing forth the fruit of charity. Men become “the children of the wicked one,” by following his dispositions, and promoting his designs. 39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. They imitate the devil, and do his work, who sow like him, and change the good seed into tares, by bad examples, evil counsels, enticements, etc. Let us anticipate the time of the harvest and the coming of the reapers. If we are tares, let us use our utmost endeavours to become good grain. 40. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The end of every man’s life is to him the end of this world; the one, as well as the other, being the end of the time of mercy. My God, what a dismal change will this be, when a sinner, who now lives in honour and pleasure, shall, like a bundle of tares, be cast into the fire! 41. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Eternal separation from the body of Christ, the being cast headlong into the furnace, the torment of everlasting fire, and an endless despair: all this is the just punishment of a fond affection toward the creatures, of the loftiness of pride, of the enjoyment of pleasures, and of the love of worldly satisfactions. How much better is it to weep in this life, having the consolation of hope, than to expose ourselves to the wailings of eternal despair? The true church will not be entirely freed from all occasions of offence till the end of the world. To separate from it, under pretence of the disorders in it, is to understand neither the nature of the church nor the Scriptures. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. How will the condition of the elect be changed in heaven! Here, they are in obscurity and contempt; there, they will shine forth as the sun. Here, under oppression; there, upon the throne of God himself. Here, in poverty and want; there, in possession of the eternal inheritance of their heavenly Father, and of all the rights of the children of God. To conceive and understand this, requires a very lively faith; and all the misfortune of men proceeds from their not conceiving it. The small number of those who endeavour as they ought to attain to it, shows that this faith is very rare. Let us not cease to request it humbly of God. Sect. VI. The Gospel A Hidden Treasure. 44. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. The effects of a lively faith are, (1.) To make us look upon salvation as our only treasure, and value, beyond all the riches of the world, the grace which causes us to seek after it. (2.) To receive this grace as a free gift which precedes all human endeavour. (3.) To hide it by humility. (4.) To place our whole joy in it. (5.) To give all we have for salvation, and the grace which leads to it. (6.) To be thoroughly sensible that salvation must be bought, and that it is not bestowed for nothing. It is a purchase, because we buy it. It is a grace, because we do not find it to buy, but, as it were, by chance; and because we give nothing for it but what we have received. Sect. VII. The Pearl Of Great Price. 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: 46. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. The sloth and indolence of the greatest part of Christians, with respect to God and their own salvation, are condemned by those merchants who traverse the world, and venture all upon the uncertain prospect of temporal advantage. We must seek, if we would find; we must prefer God before all things, and be disposed to part with them all to secure our own salvation. Wo to him who expects to find any thing more amiable than God, more worthy to fill his heart, and more capable of making him happy! Sect. VIII. The Net Cast Into The Sea. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: The net of God’s word, animated by his Spirit, draws souls out of the abyss of sin and error to Christian faith and piety. The use of the word and sacraments is common to all. The net and vessel of the visible church receive indifferently both the good and bad fish, true Christians and hypocrites, the elect and the reprobate. This is neither the time nor the place of distinction; all must continue mixed together till the great day of separation. 48. Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. We must labour in the work of our salvation with humility and fear, yet without anxiety, and in hope; being uncertain what we are in the sight of God. Though a man’s being in the church will not infallibly assure him of salvation, yet his being out of it is sufficient to make him perish irrecoverably. As yet there is time to become good or better. But the moment will come, when all desires and endeavours to this purpose will be attended only with despair. And who knows but that this moment is just at hand? 49. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, What comfort will it be for those who, during this life, have incessantly lamented the afflictions of the church, to see it at length freed forever from the persecution of the wicked, either foreign or domestic! What torment and despair will those feel who have, either with envy or hatred, borne the sight and company of the righteous, to see themselves separated from them to all eternity! Our faith is very weak, if we can think of this separation without horror. Our love of salvation very faint, if we do not endeavour earnestly to separate ourselves in this world from the wicked, by the holiness of our lives and conversations. 50. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. This is a short description of the pain, grief, and rage of the damned. Happy they, who by godly sorrow and repentance prevent these miseries, having renounced all the pleasures and vain delights of the world! Yet but a moment, and these shall be no more. But this fire and these wailings, after thousands of millions of years, will be still beginning, in order to an endless duration. 51. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Let us not slightly pass over these divine truths, if we desire to be the better for them. Let this question of our blessed Lord convince us of their importance. It is very proper, when we read them, to call ourselves to an account, as to the impressions which they make upon our mind and heart, as to the use which our faith makes of them, as to the consequences which we should draw from them for the regulation of our lives, and as to that estrangement from worldly lusts and amusements which they ought to inspire into us. 52. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe, which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. A small degree of knowledge is not sufficient for a preacher of the gospel. Above all things, he ought perfectly to under stand the Holy Scriptures, and to make them his treasure. His knowledge does not consist in being furnished with a great variety of human learning, but in being well versed in whatever concerns the kingdom of heaven, and the art of con ducting souls thither. To this the learned ought to direct all their skill in the law and the prophets, their natural talents, and their attainments in profane arts and sciences; and to make them all subservient thereto. It is not enough for a man to have these advantages in his possession; he must bring them forth out of his treasure, and distribute them abroad. A good pastor will always remember that he must not, like a miser, keep these things to himself, only to please his own fancy; nor yet, like a merchant, traffic with them to enrich himself; but that, like a bountiful father or householder, he must, with a prudent economy, distribute them freely for the good of his family. Sect. IX. Jesus Despised. No Prophet Honoured In His Own Country. 53. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. There is no time of amusement or vacation in the life of the great Shepherd of our souls; having performed his mission, he retires. This is the pattern which the subordinate pastors, to whom he vouchsafes a share in his ministry, ought to imitate. 54. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Those who should know Christ best, are very often most ignorant of him. We must not consider the persons who teach, but the truths which they teach. There is, in minds too carnal with respect to mysteries, an astonishment of contempt, incredulity, and unteachableness, as there is one of reverence, adoration, and joy in souls replenished with faith. Wisdom of the Son of God! power of the Father! who can at the same time discover thyself to the eyes of reason able men, and conceal thyself from such as are carnal! My faith owns, adores, and invokes thee, as the uncreated and incarnate wisdom, as the light of angels and men, hid under the obscurity of our flesh, and debased in the proud conceits of the sages of this world! 55. Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? Jesus Christ goes among his relations and acquaintance only in order to be despised, whereas men generally do it to be esteemed and caressed by them. The more contemptible thou appearest to carnal eyes, Jesus, the more worthy I find thee to be adored, loved, and admired, in the dispensation of thy mysteries and the abasement of thy greatness! How glorious is this humiliation of Mary and Joseph, which proceeds only from their union with Jesus Christ! Who would not willingly be his at the same price? 57. And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. The most holy things are, to carnal men, an occasion of offence. Without faith, and the grace of Jesus Christ, the means of salvation become obstacles to. it. The reason of man cannot comprehend how God should vouchsafe to abase himself for his sake. His pride will not own and receive the wisdom of God, unless accompanied with his greatness and glory. But, from the entrance of sin into the world even to the time of the resurrection, the way from God to man, and from man to God, is the humility of Him who is both God and man. 58. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Unbelief, and contempt of the divine word, drive Christ out of the heart, as they did out of his own country. Faith seems to put the almighty power of God into the hands of man; whereas unbelief seems to tie up even the hands of the Al mighty. A man, generally speaking, can do but little good among his kinsfolk and relations, because it is difficult for them to look with the eyes of faith upon one whom they have been always used to behold only with those of the flesh.