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Mat.xiii.22.

He also that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word:

Lukeviii.14. and when he hath heard goeth forth,

Mark iv. 19. and the cares

Mat. xiii.22. and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, Lukeviii.14. and pleasures of this life,

Markiv. 19, and the lusts of other things entering in,

Mat. xiii.22. choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23.

But he that received seed into the good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it.

Mark iv. 20. and receiveth it

Lukeviii.15. in an honest and good heart; and having heard the word, keepeth it, and with patience,

Mat. xiii.23. which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty.

Mark iv.21.
Lukeviii.16.

17.

Mark iv. 23.

And he said unto them,

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known, and come abroad.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. MARK iv. part of ver. 15, 16, 17. ver. 18. part of ver. 19, 20, 21. and ver. 22.

15 And these are they by the way-side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard Satan cometh-and taketh away-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

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

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

19 of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word-and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

21-Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

LUKE viii. part of ver. 12, 13, 14, 15.

12 Those by the way-side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which-and are choked with cares and riches-and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which-bring forth fruit

Mark iv. 24.

SECTION XXXIII.

Christ directs his Hearers to practise what they hear.
MARK iv. 24, 25. LUKE viii. 18.

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear:
Lukeviii.18. how ye hear:

Mark iv. 24. with 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 him shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Lukeviii.18. even that which he seemeth to have.

Mark iv. 26.

LUKE viii. part of ver. 18.

18 Take heed therefore-for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken

SECTION XXXIV.

Various Parables descriptive of Christ's Kingdom 6.
MARK iv. 26-34.

MATT. xiii. 24-53.
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man
should cast seed into the ground;

68 This phrase, "the kingdom of heaven," is used in the New Testament to denote the various gradations of that dominion which the Messiah was about to establish. It sometimes alludes to its commencement, Matt. iii. 2. by the preaching, influence, and death of Christ; sometimes it refers to its gradual progress, and the consequent setting up and establishment of the Christian Church, Matt. xiii. 47. Sometimes it is used to express the future perfection and consummation of the happiness of mankind and of the Church in a future state. The word baσiλeia, ought frequently to be translated "the reign," instead of the kingdom.

"Isaiah, Daniel, Micah, and others of the prophets, had encouraged the people to expect a time when the Lord of Hosts should reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, when the people of God should be redeemed, and made joyful in Messiah their king." "This period was generally understood by the phrases βασιλεία τῷ Θεῷ and βασιλεία τῶν ὀυρανῶν; the first approach of which was preached by the Baptist, and afterwards by Christ." When the word therefore refers to the time, it ought to be rendered the reign of God-the reign of heaven; when to place, it should be translated kingdom (a).

We read also (Luke xvii. 21.) "the kingdom of God is within you." There is a dominion over the passions and the inferior nature of man, which may be justly called the kingdom of heaven, or the reign of divine power within us. And it is of little consequence to us, personally and individually, what may be the nature, origin, progress, extent, and consummation, of all the plans of Providence, which shall establish the kingdom of God in the world; unless, obedience to God, and faith in God, and the peace of God, be so known to us, that our nature become changed before Him. We may even assist to build up the ark which shall save a drowning world, but without repentance and faith, we, like the builders of the ark, may be destroyed by the deluge.

I am aware that the original, ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν

Mark iv. 27.

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

loriv, may be translated the kingdom of God is among you, or, is now being established in the midst of you; and the ivròs is so used by Xenoph. Cyrop. 1. 1. and in the Auab. lib. 6. c. 5. § 5. we read ivròs rñs páλayyos, intra spatium, in quo exercitus erat. The word is used twice only in the New Testament-in Matt. xxiii. 26. where it evidently signifies the inside of the cup, &c.-and in this passage, Luke xvii. 21. where it is contrasted with the outward pomp and shew with which the Jews expected the reign of their Messiah would commence. The kingdom of God cometh not μετὰ παρατηρήσεως: Heinsius paraphrases the word "non venit præstolando, aut ex.

spectando regnum Domini. Schleusner quotes from Suidas,

ἐντός οι λογισμοὶ καὶ ἐνθυμήσεις καὶ πάντα τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς κινήματα, and the Alexandrian version translates the word 27p in the last clause of Ver. 1. of Ps. ciii. by the word Evrós, &c. ap ban, where no other meaning can be assigned but that which is internal: that is, the thoughts and motives of the heart. The phrase also, own man, was used among the Jews to denote the influence of religion within the heart (b).

The Jews had long spoken of, anticipated and described the future reign of the Messiah by the phrase now in question. They had been taught by their ancient prophets to expect a Messiah, who should restore the true reigion, reform the Jewish people, atone for their sins, and release them from a foreign yoke. The apostles and our Lord used only the popular language, when they adopted the term expressive of this dominion of the Messiah, That the expressions βασιλεία το Θεοβασιλεία τῶν ἐρανῶν βασιλεία τῷ Ἰησε, did not refer only to the kingdom or dominion of Christ in the future world, is evident from the proclamation of the Baptist, Matt. iii 2, yyke yapǹ baoiλeia, &c. and from the nature of the addresses of our Lord, such as in Matt. vi. 33. ζητεῖτε πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ θεῷ, and those in the Lord's prayer, "thy will be done in earth." &c.

As the treatise of Schoetgen is bound up with his larger work, and is rarely to be met, I have made an extract from his observations on this phrase.

the same as Bastasia Tov בולכדת השמים The expression

pavov frequently occurs in Jewish writers. In general it means the polity of the children of Israel under the old covenant, having God at its head. The kingdom of heaven is the same as the kingdom of God. In that kingdom the Jews were the subjects. Thus Josephus properly calls that government θεοκρατία, § 1. and 2.

To shew that Jewish writers used the expression in this sense, several quotations are brought, sect. 3. One is from Rabbi Schemoth: "When they (the Israelites) came to Sinai, and received the kingdom of God," &c. Our author supposes this "receiving the kingdom of God," to imply a confession of faith, that may be repeated for the greater confirmation therein. He quotes Sohar Genes: "When a man goes to bed, he ought first of all to take upon himself the kingdom of heaven, and then repeat one or more prayers," § 4.

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It appears that when a man used the prayer Krischma, it was necessary first, suscipere regnum cœlorum, § 5. in fine. This is the common meaning of the phrase, kingdom of heaven," among Jewish writers. Still they have used it (but rarely) in the sense of the times of the Messiah and the new dispensation. Targum, Micah iv. 17. "The kingdom of heaven shall be revealed unto them on Mount Zion, from this time to all eternity." But, independently of quotations from

Mark iv. 28..

29.

Mat.xiii.24.

25.

26.

27.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man, which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

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?

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?

29.

30.

But he said, Nay; lest, while 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 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.

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31. Another parable put he forth unto them,

Mark iv. 30. and he said,

Mat.xiii.31. saying,

Mark iv.30. Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

these writers, it may be shewn, that the Jews used the expression in this sense; otherwise John the Baptist, Christ, the Pharisees, and the hearers, would neither have used the phrase, nor understood it. Thus a Pharisee, Luc. xvii. 20. asks, "When the kingdom of God should come," § 6.

The expression took its origin from that passage of Daniel, where it is said, "Unto him was given a kingdom, &c. and his kingdom shall not be destroyed," $7.

In the New Testament, the expression Bariλɛia т8 0ε8,. means the Christian Church, or dispensation. The Apostle, Rom. xiv. 17. exhorts Christians not to condemn others about meats; "for," says he, "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink," that is, the Christian Church, under its king, the Messiah, is not bound by the ceremonies enjoined under the law, § 8.

There is sometimes an ellipsis of τῷ θεῷ, οἱ τῶν ἐρανῶν; the word Bagiiia occurring alone. Thus Christ is said to have preached the Gospel of the kingdom, i. e. of the kingdom of the Messiah. The Jews are called vioi rns Baoiλɛíaç, because the kingdom of Messiah was first sent to them, § 9.

It also denotes subjection to the kingdom of Messiah, Mark x. 15. "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of heaven," &c. § 10.

It is not denied that "the kingdom of heaven" is sometimes used to denote eternal life, § 11.

(a) Campbell's Preliminary Dissertations, vol. i. p. 140. (b) Vide Schoetgen. Dissert. de regno Coelorum, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 1149. Heinsius Exercit. Sacræ, p. 172, Schleusner in vo. civróg, and Valpy's Greek Test, in Luke xvii. 20.

Mat. xiii.31. The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field:

32.

Markiv. 31. 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 herbs, and shooteth out great branches; Mat.xiii.32. and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Mark iv. 32. under the shadow of it.

Mat, xiii.33.

34.

Another parable spake he unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: Markiv. 33. and with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

34.

Mat.xiii.35.

But without a parable spake he not unto them:

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.

Mark iv.34. and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

Mat.xiii.36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

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.

He answered, and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man:

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one:

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered, and burnt in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world.

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:

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

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.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls ;

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

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