terous generation seeketh a sign; and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was in the whale's belly three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here.

The Queen of the South shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold a greater than Solomon here.

And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, it walketh through desert places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then it saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out. And coming, it findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then it goeth, and taketh with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation.

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting up her voice said to him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts that gave thee suck. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.

As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And the multitude sat round about him. And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without seeking to speak to thee.

But he answering him that told him, said, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said, Be

hold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

SECT. XLI. THE PARABLES OF THE SOWER, OF THE COCKLE, OF THE MUSTARD-SEED, AND OF THE LEAVEN.

The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea-side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that Capharnaum. he went up into a boat and sat down; and all the multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake to them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hear ye: behold, the sower went out to sow his seed; and whilst he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up; and other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth: and when the sun was risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. And other some fell upon good ground, and it brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold. And he said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Another parable he proposed to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the goodman of the house came and said to him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it cockle? And he said to them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him, Wilt thou that we go

and gather it up? And he said, No; lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, ye root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the cockle and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth, and should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up whilst he knoweth not; for the earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear. And when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Another parable he proposed to them, saying, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God, or to what parable shall we compare it? It is as a grain of mustard-seed, which when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that are in the earth; and when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the birds of the air may dwell under the shadow thereof.

Another parable he spake to them, The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.

And with many such parables he spake to them the word, according as they were able to hear. And without parable he did not speak unto them; but apart he explained all things to his disciples; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world (Ps. lxxvii. 2).

SECT. XLII. JESUS HAVING RETURNED TO THE HOUSE, HIS DISCIPLES ASK HIM TO EXPLAIN THE PARABLES.

Then having sent away the multitudes, he came into the house.

And his disciples came and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? And he answered and said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; but to them it is not given. For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall abound; but he that hath not, from him shall be taken away that also which he hath. Therefore do I speak to them in parables : because seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias, who saith, Hearing, you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing, you shall see and shall not perceive. For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them (Is. vi. 9).

But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For amen I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that ye hear, and have not heard them.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. The seed is the word of God; and they by the way-side are they that hear: then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest they should believe and be saved.

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Now they upon the rock are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy and these have no root in themselves; for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the word, they fall away.

And that which fell among thorns are they who have heard, and go their way, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

But he that received the seed upon good ground, this is he that in an honest and good heart heareth the word, and understandeth, and yieldeth fruit in patience, the one an hundred-fold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

And he said to them, Now no man lighting a candle covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light. For there is not any thing secret that shall not be made manifest, nor hidden that shall not be known and come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And he said to them, Take heed therefore how ye hear. In what measure ye shall mete, it shall be measured to you again, and more shall be given to you. For he that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, that also which he hath shall be taken away from him.

SECT. XLIII. THE EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE COCKLE. THE PARABLES OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE, OF THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, AND OF THE DRAW-NET.

And his disciples came to him, saying, Expound to us the parable of the cockle of the field. And he made answer and said to them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; and the cockle are the children of the wicked one; and the enemy that sowed them is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Even as the cockle therefore are gathered up and burnt with fire, so shall it be at the end of the world. The Son of man