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tudes were gathered to Him, fo that H went into a Ship and fat in the Sea, and the whole multitude ftcod on the Shore And, He (pake many things to them b Parables, and faid, Hearken; Behold fower went out to fow his feed: anda he fow'd, fome fell by the way fide, and was trodden down, and the Fowls of th Air came and eat it. And fome fell a flony ground where it had not mud earth, and immediately it fprang up,be. cause it had not depth of earth: bu when the Sun was rifen, it was scorched because it wanted moisture; and, having no root, wither'd away. And fome fell among Thorns; and the Thorns gret up with it and choak'd it, and it yielde no fruit. And other fell on good ground and fprang up and increas'd and brough forth, fome thirty, and fome fixty, a fome an hundred, When He fpake the things, He cry'd aloud, and faid, He th has ears to hear let him hear. Refp. Thus every where the People flockt Thee, and ftrive to hear Thy Heaven difcourfes: they flock to Thee; and whe ther should they go? Thou hast the words. of Eternal Life. O make us, Lord,

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receive with joy Thy divine inftructions, and fink them deeply in our hearts, that they may spring and increafe, and bring forth fruit to perfection. Every where Thou teacheft them that come to Thy Lef fons, and nothing can disappoint the defgns of Thy Charity: if the multitudes prefs and incommode Thee, Thon with draweft into a Ship; but, still got on to Preach, and calleft aloud upon every one to hear. O make us,

LeBon 96.

And, when He was alone, the Difciples came and faid to Him, Why speakeЯ Thou to them in Parables? and what might this Parable be? Who anfwering faid to them, To you'tis given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God; but to others, that are without, it is not given, but all these things are done in Parables: That feeing they may fee and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not underftand; leaft at any time they hould be converted, and their fins be forgiven them. For, he that has, to him fhall be given, and he fhall have more abundance: but, he that has not, from: him fhall be taken away even that which

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he thinks he has. Therefore fpeak I to them in Parables; becaufe feeing they fee not, and hearing they hear not, nei ther do they understand. And, in them is fulfill'd the Prophecy of Efay, which fays, By hearing you fhall hear, and fhall not understand, and feeing you fhall fee, and fhall not perceive: For, this Peoples heart is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; leaft at any time they fhould fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and underftand with their heart, and be converted, and I fhould heal them. But, bleffed are your eyes, for they fee; and your ears, for they hear. For, verily1 fay to you, Many Prophets and juft men have defir'd to fee the things you fee, and have not feen them; and to hear the things you hear, and have not heard them.

Refp. Blessed, O holy JESU, were the eyes that fan Thee, while Thou dweltt among us, and the ears that beard these Glorious Truths Thou revealed to the World. But,O! how far more bleed are the Souls who see Thee now, and know and love and enjoy Thee for ever. Bleed

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pes Blessed were they who understood the facred Mysteries of Thy Kingdom, and were happily converted to believe and follow. and obey Thee. * But, O, how Leffon 97.

And He said to them, Know you not this Parable? and how then will you know all Parables? Hear therefore the Parable of the Sower. The Seed is the word of God: and thefe are they by the way fide, that hear, but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was fown in their hearts, leaft they should believe and be faved. And, these are they likewife that receiv'd the feed Into ftony places; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladnefs; but, having no root in themfelves, endure but a while, and afterward, when affliction or perfecution arifes for the words fake,immediatly they are offended, and in the time of temptation, fall away. And, thefe are they that receiv'd feed among the Thorns: who, when they have heard the word, go forth, and the troubles and follicitudes of this world, and the deceitful

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nefs of riches, and the pleasures of this life, and the lufts of other things entring in, choak the word and it becomes unfruitful. And, these are they that re ceiv'd feed into the good ground: who, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and understand it, and bring forth fruit with patience; fome thirty fold, fome fixty, and fome an hundred. Refp. Say now, which kind of earth art thou, my Soul? which part of the Pa rable reprefents thy state. Pardon, O dearest JESU! what hitherto I have done, and prevent by Thy Grace what I hall do hereafter. In all thefe ways of mifcarrying our felves I find I am too concernd, and if my heart fometimes be good and my intention honeft Ifeldom perfevere to bring forth fruit with pati ence. * Pardon, O

Leẞon 98.

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And He faid, fo is the Kingdom of God, as if a man should caft feed into the ground and should fleep and rife night and day, and the feed fhould fpring and grow up he knows not how. For, the earth brings forth fruit of it felf;

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