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SERMON IV.

The Parable of the Sower ex

plained.

0

St LUKE Viii. 15.

But that on the good ground, are they, which in an honest and good heart, baving heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with Patience.

T

HESE Words are part of SE r m.
that Explication of the Pa- IV.
rable of the Sower, which
our Saviour was pleafed to

give to his difciples in pri

vate, after he had spoken the Parable itself publickly in the hearing of the Multitude, without interpreting it to Them at

F 2

all.

SER M. all. The Reafons of his making which

IV.

This reafon we find

great Difference between his Difciples and
the rest of the People, were these two.
Ift, Because the Difciples were intended
by our Saviour to be Preachers of the
word, to teach and explain it to others;
and therefore it was very neceffary that
they should first be fully and particularly
inftructed, to understand every thing dif
tinctly themselves.
our Saviour giving, St Matt. xiii. 51:
where the Evangelift relating the fame
History of our Saviour's explaining this
and fome other Parables to his Difciples
in private, adds at the conclufion, ver. 51;
Jefus faith unto them, Have ye underflood
all these things? They fay unto him, yea
Lord: Then faid he unto them, Therefore
every Scribe which is inftructed into the
Kingdom of Heaven, is like unto a man
that is an householder, which bringeth forth
out of his treasure things new and old:
That is; He had given them these parti-
cular Inftructions, expecting they should
take care fo to lay up his Doctrines in their
Minds, as that they might be thorough-
ly qualified to be fuccefsful Preachers of

IV.

the Gofpel, and be able upon all Occa-SER M. fions to bring forth out of their Memory, as out of a well-furnished Store-house, inftructions fuited to Perfons of all Capacities. So that thofe who at prefent had not these things explained to them, might afterwards, as many of them as were capable, come to receive inftruction from the Difciples, who were fent forth into the World for that very End. The other Reason of our Saviour's making fo great a difference between his Difciples and the Multitude, in explaining all things dif tinctly to the one, and fpeaking to the other in Parables without the interpretation; was the unworthinefs and incapacity, at prefent, of the greater part of the mixt multitude, to hear and judge of his Doctrine. This Reafon we find our Saviour giving, in the words a little before the Text; where, upon his Difciples afking him the meaning of the Parable, he introduces his explication with thefe words, ver. 10; Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; but to others in parables; that seeing they might not fee, and hearing they might not F 3 under

IV.

SER M. understand. Which words at firft Sight, may seem to ascribe the cause of this different treatment, not to the different Qualifications of the Perfons, but merely to the abfolute Will of God, whofe pleasure it was to have it fo; Which would be very difficult to reconcile with the Attributes of God, who declares himself to be no refpecter of persons. 13th chapter of St Matthew,

But in the

where the

we find the

fame History is again related,
fame words fet down more at large, and
explained fo, as clearly to lay the blame
upon the perfons themselves, and not up-
on any unwillingness in God to affift them:
ver. 10; The Difciples came and faid unto
him, Why Speakest thou unto Them in pa-
rables? He answered, and faid unto them,
Because it is given unto you to know the
myfteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but
to Them it is not given: For, whosoever
bath, to him shall be given, and he fall
have more abundance; but whosoever bath
not, from him fall be taken away even
That be bath: Therefore speak I to Them
in parables, because they seeing fee not, and
bearing they hear not, neither do they un-

derftand: