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These great characteristics are no where more conspicuous, than in those parables, which were made use of by our Saviour, to convey to the assembled multitudes, in a more striking and forcible manner, the weighty and interesting truths of religion. The subject of them is lofty and sublime, becoming the lips of him, who spake as never man spake: but the stile of them is simple and familiar; peculiarly fitted to engage the attention and reach the hearts of those, to whom they were addressed. We cannot, therefore, wonder, that "all the people were very " attentive to hear him," or, as it is expressed in another place, that" the common people " heard him gladly."

The short stories too, on which our Saviour's parables are grounded, are no less engaging, than the style of them is happily pleasing and instructive. Does he wish to represent to us the unavoidable confusion of good and evil men, in the present life, and the different fates which await them hereafter; how naturally does he set before our eyes the iningled tares and corn, the necessity of suffering both to grow together till the harvest, when the wise husbandman will order the one to be gathered into his barn, and the other to be burnt with unquenchable fire! Does he wish to describe to us the miraculous propagation propagation of the Gospel, in the hands of a few fishermen, and under every possible seeming disadvantage; how fitly does he compare it to a grain of mustard-seed, in appearance small and contemptible, yet soon springing up into a tree, and affording shelter to the birds of the air in its wide and umbrageous branches! Does he wish to impress upon the minds of his hearers, the rashness, and precipitancy of youth, the misery ever consequent upon sin, and the readiness of his divine father to receive returning criminals to his favour; how pathetically does he paint to us an inconsiderate youth, quitting the protection of a kind father, rushing into the snares of ungoverned passions, languishing under the necessary consequences of his vices, and, at length, on his repentance, received back by his indulgent parent with open arms, and every demonstration of sincere joy! Thus also in the words of the text, under the allegory of a sower, scattering his seed on various soils; how admirably does he represent the different effects, which the doctrines of christianity would produce in the world, according to the different temper and disposition of those who heard them! pressly describes himself as speaking to the Jews in parables, that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not perceive; I answer, that this want of perception arose, not from any unfitness in the method of instruction, but from their own indisposition to receive instruction. The Scribes and Pharisees, those hearers whom Christ seems chiefly in this expression to have in view, were in the highest degree prejudiced both against his person and his doctrine, and came to hear him, not with a design of profiting by his divine lessons, but of catching some unguarded expression, on which they might ground an accusation against him. It is not, therefore, surprising, that it should not be given to such perverse and captious hearers to know what was delivered in parables; since they were too much blinded with wickedness to see those which were plain and obvious, and too proud to condescend to be instructed more fully in those, which contained the sublimer mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Should it be thought any objection to what has been now advanced in relation to the perspicuity of the parables used by our Saviour, that he ex

With regard to the parable now before us, our divine Master has furnished us with an explanation of its design and tendency, and therefore we are not at liberty to seek for any other. His explanation, however, is full and comprehensive, and will therefore leave us sufficient room to enlarge upon it in our own thoughts and reflections, without

without deviating from its original scope and intention; which is, to justify the christian religion, and to clear it from those objections, which might seem to arise against it, on account of the little effect it had on the minds of those, by whom it was publicly professed.

The seed, says our Saviour, is the word of God. Those by the way-side are they that hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but having no root, believe only for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choaked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

You have here then a compendious view of those causes, which obstructed in the time of our Saviour, and ever will continue, I fear, to obstruct, the natural energy and fruitfulness of God's word;

The seed sown by the way-side, represents those careless and nominal Christians, who hear indeed, but do not consider the weighty truths of religion. Of this sort are all the thoughtless crowds of the busy world, who are born indeed in a christian land, and have been baptized into the name of Christ, but have no other claim to the honourable name of Christians, by which they are, improperly, called. They have indeed the glorious light of the Gospel shining round about them, but their hearts are impervious to its rays. They are never at leisure to entertain any serious thoughts of God and religion. They are too deeply engaged in providing for the present life to have any time to consider what they shall do to inherit eternal life. They are, in fact, just as much unenlightened and unregenerate, as if they had lived in the midst of heathen darkness and idolatry. And accordingly, our Saviour justly represents them in the parable, as being equally with the heathens, under the power and influence of the devil, who cometh and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should be saved.

It is a melancholy thought to consider the greatest part of a christian nation as living in this dangerous and unchristian way; but it is a thought too well established on the basis of truth,

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