Ch. i3. The word heard. St. Matthew. The svordheard Ch. r 3., 12. For whofoever bath, to him they fee ; and your ears for they hear. {hall be given, and he thatl have 17. For verily I fay unto you, that more abundance: but whofoever hath many prophets and righteous men not, from him {hall be taken away, havedefired to fee thofethings which even thathe hath. ye fee, and have not feen thin; : and 12. For here it is true, that to him that hath to hear thofe things which ye hear, Pull be given, eov. He that hath alreadythe un- and have not heard them. derftanding of the rudiments and fundamen r 6, 17. How great is God's mercy to you, tals, is thereby capable ofreceiving and under- that hath givenyou both teaching and under? Banding more : One truth openeth the way ftanding, by which youare made capable of untoanother. But they that have no confide- more. I tell you, Prophets and Righteous men cable Knowledge, are hardly taught ir, and if ofold, diddefire tofee and hear what you do. it he by their wilful neglect or contempt, are but it was not granted them, but refereed for like by their guilt and folly to lofe all the pro- you. fitableufe even of their reafon. 18. Hear ye therefore the parable 13. Therefore fpeak Ito them in ofthe fower. 19. When any one parables: becaufe they feeing,fee not : heareth the word ofthe kingdom,and and hearing, they hearnot, neither underítandeth it not, then cometh do they underfiand. 14. And in the wicked one, and catcheth away them is fulfilled the prophecyof E- faias, which faith, By hearing ye (hall hear, and {hall not underftand : and feeing ye {hall fee, and {hall not perceive. r g. For this peoples heart is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull ofhearing, and their eyes they have clofed, left at any time they Thould fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and thould under- fand with their heart ; and {hould heconverted, and I I hould heal them. 13, d'e. I (peak to them in fimilitude,, as children mutt be firft taught to fpell, becaufe tho they have underftanding, eyes and ears, they are fo ignorant that they understand not even whateyes and ears and reafon tell them. As the Prophet lfaiah faith, ere. This people by wilful neglect of knowledge are filch, as will not underftand even what they hear and hadBred before theyfell away, is a controverfie fee : Eor their hearts are ftupified, and their too long to be here handled, and not fo need- underftandingfo dull, and they have fo linfül- ful as fonte think. ly that their own eyes, for want of care and love to truth, that thus theykeep our the know- 22 He alfo that received feed a- ledgeof the Gofpel, and Ilan out my offered mong the thorns, is he that heareth grace, which elfe wouldconvince and convert the word : and the care ofthis world, them, and theywould behealed. and the deceitfulnefs ofriches- choke Note, r. That the wayof Parables is not men- the word , andhe becometh unfruit- tionedas anobfcure way to hide the truth: but as a low familiar way, as ignorant carnal Put, men are capableof. 2. The Prophecy, nor 22. That is, He loveth the wealth and pro.. Chrift, means not thatit's God's intent tohide fperity ofthis worldmore than the word, and the truth left it convert men, but that this is fo that which he molt loveth doth prevail a- theeffect andevent oftheir ownwilful neglect, gainft the other, and he liveth more to the whereby their Converfion is as effe& uallÿ world thanunto God and for the world will hindred, as if they did it purpofely, leaft they forfake his duty, and Chrift hitgfelf in Throng Should he converted. temptations. r6. But bleffed are your eyes, for 23. But he that received feed into_ that which was fown in his heart : this is he which received feed by the ways fide. . t8, t9. Note, r. By not underflanding fa meant 4(6, Not confidering it to take it in 2. It is Paid to bePeon itshie heart, only becaufe it was by the lower fo intended, but not as there received. 20. But he that received the feed into ftony-places, the fame ishe that heareth the word, and anon with joy reeeiveth it ; 21. Yet hath he not root in himfelf, but dureth for a while : for when tribulation or per- fecution arifeth becaufe of the word, by and by he is offended. 20, zs. Note, That the reafon why filch fall away, wat rho want of rootingof the word, is plain. But whether filch fhoutd be fared if they D 3. the
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