Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verse 2. THE occasion of our Saviours Sermon, was the gathering of much people together, and coming unto Christ out of all Cityes; the kind of doctrine he spake was by a Parable aParabola est explicatio rerum per similitudinem quandam. Refert quasi agricolae alicujus historiam quotidie sationis tempore consuetam. Sed hoc differt historia à parabola, quod illa est narratio simplex rei verè gestae: ista est narratio sive verè, sive verisimiliter gestae, ad aliquid simile significandum: verbi causa, hic vult significare Christus, ex tanta multitudine audito rum vix quartam partem credituram Evangelio, prout ipse Dominus parabolam interpretatur Discipulis. v. 18. Pareus., that is, a comparison and similitude drawn from ordinary matters; here it is taken for an obscure manner of propounding the truth under a continued similitude, or allegory, from the Greek foreign assimilare, Luke 21.29. see 24.31.33.44.45.47. verses of this Chapter.
Behold a sower went forth to sow] The Scope of this Parable is twofold, First, whereas our Saviour saw a multitude of hearers, but not all coming with the same intent, nor all hearing with the same fruit and profit: he manifestly propoundeth this parable to shew the diversity of hearers. Secondly, that every man might enquire and make triall of himselfe, in which forme or ranke of Hearers hee is.
Behold] A note 1. of certainty. 2. Of intention or excitation, that is, let him that heares consider, remember, apply. 3. Of castigation or checke to our dulnesse, in beholding such materiall things.
A Sower] That is, Christ himselfe, vers. 37.
Went forth to sow] That is, to preach in Spirit, person, ministry.
His seed] That is, the word of God, ver. 11. Which by Christ and his Ministers is cast into the furrowes of the heart, as seed into the furrowes of the earth by the husbandman.
The word of God in this Sermon, is compared by Christ to seede:Vers. 19. Optimè foreign semini comparatur: Nam & Latinè sermo à serendo dici creditur. Grotius. Chemnit. in Harmon. and for divers reasons. First, as unknown seed, of which you know not what fruit it will bring forth, is a contemptible thing and of no price; so the word of God is not esteemed of. 1 Cor. 1.23. Secondly, as seed hath in it selfe a virtue of growing, of bearing fruit, and of procreating that which is like unto it; so the word of God hath in it a spirituall and quickning force of regenerating men. Thirdly, as the seed doth not quicken being kept in the garner, but being cast on the earth; so unles the word of God be spread abroad into the eares and minds of men, it doth not regenerate men, nor bring forth the fruits of faith. Fourthly, as in sowing the blessing of God is required, unlesse wee will cast away the seed in vaine; so in preaching the word, it is God onelyonly that gives the increase. 2. Cor. 3.7. Fifthly, as in sowing the field is to be prepared, unles wee will lose our labour with the seede; so the heart is to be prepared to heare the word of God.
Vers. 4. The high way being continually trod by the feete of men growes hard, seede will not grow there; so mens hearts through the continuall passing of the Devill and lusts. Our Saviour interprets it plainely in the 19. vers. the reason of unfruitfulnesse is two fold, one inward, the seed was troden under foote, that is, they despise and undervalue it; the other outward, by malice of the Devill, the Foules came and devoured it up. Luke 8.12. he stealeth, that is, closely and secretly takes it away.
Vers. 5. This second ground goes beyond the former, they are hearers and doers. If you sow seed in ground that hath some stones and some earth, it will soone come up, but growes not downward; so these heare the word with joy, but it takes no roote, if persecution come his Religion is gone.
These bad hearers are compared to stones or stony grounds. 1. For their naturall hardnesse. 2. Coldnesse. 3. Heavinesse. 4. Vnprofitablenesse. This bad ground goes beyond the former. 1. It receives the seed. 2. Incontinently. 3. With joy. 4. Brings up the seed sowne; it sprung up to sundry degrees. 1. To externall obedience and reformation in most things. 2. To an outward profession. 3. To a kind of faith.
Much earth] Not as if there were no *By sufficient earth is meant a particular distinct knowledge of the word, and of their owne part in it; by rooting, stability, certainety, and sincerity of faith and other graces.earth, or rootes, or moysture, but as a Rock covered with a little crust of earth above, all stones below; so it had no rootes, that is, no deep rootes, no rootes to feede the stalke and blade that was come; no rootes which could save it from withering in time of heate. This is implied by all the Evangelists, who say, because it wanted rootes it lasted but a while, it wanted moisture, that is sufficient moisture.
Vers. 6. They withered away] Fell away, not all at once, but by little and little, as a leafe loseth his greenesse, and flourish, and withers by degrees. The causes,
1. Inward.
1. Positive, hardnesse, it fell among stones.
2. Privative, want of
Moystnesse.
Earth. 4, 5. v.
Rootes. 6. v.
2. Outward
Persecution. 21. v.
Temptation. Luke 8.13.
Moistnesse] humor, 1. Vnctionis, a sound supply of saving graces which continually feedeth and cherisheth the roote. 2. Compunctionis, sound sorrow for sinne, and the sound exercise of mortification.
Vers. 7. This ground goes as farre as the former in hearing, Luke 8.14. in receiving, Matth. 13.20. and Mark. 4.14. and in growing, as Luke, it springs beyond the other: the other grows, but this sprang up, not only to a blade, but to an eare, though not a ripe one. These third hearers are doers & sufferers, in the winter time the thorns will cherish the seed, but when it should bring forth the earth, the thornes grow up and choake it.
Bring forth no fruite] That is, not to perfection, bring not fruit to the end as the Greeke is, or maturity. The causes of this failing are set downe. 1. In generall to be thornes, viz. inward lusts, carnall affections, and corrupt desires. 2. In speciall of three sorts, 1. Cares of the world, to distinguish them from the cares of heaven, Luke 8.14. and 22.2.2. Riches, Luke 8.14. called deceitfulnesse of riches, verse 22.3. Voluptuous living, Luke 8.14. called lusts of other things by another Evangelist, these enter and choake the word, Mark. 4.19.
Vers. 8. The ground is called good, not à priori, because the word finds it so, but à posteriori, it is made so by the word. The heart is called good in two respects. 1. as emptied of bad qualities, being contrary to the bad disposition of the three former kinds of ground. 2. as well qualified by grace, so it is called an honest heart, a generall word, and put for the approved disposition of the soule, containing both civill and religious honesty. The first received not the seede, this receives and retaines it; the second choakes the seed, this cherisheth it in a good heart; the third came up faire, but withered,Sicut in terra mala tres fuere diversitates, secus viam, & petrosa, & spinosa loca: sic in terra bona trina diversitas est, centesimi, sexagesimi, & tricesimi fructus. Hieron. this continues fruitfull.
Our Saviour speaketh not by an hyperbole, or an excessive speech, but according to the manner of the best ground in Canaan, which brought an hundred fold increase.
Austin and Jerome say, our Saviour mentions three degrees of fruitfull ground, to note a difference betwixt Virgins, Widdowes, and Married persons. Theophylact applies it to Anchorites, Monkes, and Laickes.
Christ mentioneth three degrees of fruitfull hearers, 1 to note the free disposition of Gods grace, who distributes to every one according to his good pleasure. 2. to comfort and encourage his Ministers, who though they lose much labour in the three bad grounds, yet the good ground makes amends, in which none are fruitlesse. 3. to comfort and strengthen such as have not, nor can attaine this hundred fold, though their endeavours be true and earnest, Christ honours them with the name of good ground, Matth. 25.23.
Vers. 12. See Luke 19.26. That is, that useth well what he hath received. Drusius in his proverbs expounds it thus, He that hath the gift of faith, to him other things also shall be given.
Vers. 13. *Audientes corporis sensu, non audiunt cordis assensu. August. de corrupt. & grat. c. 7.Hee here plainely declares, why he used a parabolicall kind of teaching, because they seeing with their bodily eyes the Miracles of Christ, and hearing with their corporall eares his Sermons, they did not see nor heare with the eyes and eares of their heart.
Vers. 19. And understandeth it not] Spiritually.
foreign.Then cometh the wicked one] That is, the Devill; this phrase notes a speciall wickednesse. God is called by the Prophets in the old Testament, the Holy one, because he is infinitely and altogether Holy; so the Devill, because hee hath the most wicked nature, is called the wicked one. 1. the Devils fell of themselves and made themselves wicked. 2. they persist in their wickednesse. 1 Iohn 3.8. 3. they labour to make others wicked like themselves, they are wicked subjectivè and effectivè.
And catcheth away that which was sown in his heart] Catch in our language imports a kind of violence, but the Greeke word foreign is more full,Marke saith he comes and takes away the word out of his heart. 4.15. fetcheth it away by violence as the Harpie her meate; the ravenous creature the Harpie hath her name from this word; Christ useth the word Matth. 11.12. where it is rendred, take by force, because of the vehement pursuit of their spirit, so this shews the extreme eagernesse of satans spirit.
Vers. 21. Yet hath he not root in himselfe] It must bee a rooting of our owne, not in opposition to Christ, but any other person, and not so much inregard of quantity as truth; It must have a rooting, 1. In the understanding. Eph. 4.14. 2. Memory. 3. The conscience. Rom. 14.15. 4. In the will. Act. 11.23. 5. In the affections. Eph. 3.17. 6. In faith. Col. 2.5.
For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, he is by and by offended] Tribulation is taken largely for any kind of affliction, here for such a tribulation as hath something of persecution in it for the word; tribulation is often immediate from the hand of God, persecution is ever from the hand of man.
Because of the word] Received.
Offended] At this persecution; it implies such a distast as puts a stop to a man in the way he is in.
Vers. 22. This ground in the generall nature of it is thorny, thornes are lusts that thrive in the soule, so called, 1. because they are sponte nascentia, spring up naturally in the heart as the others doe in ground. 2. teare and wound the soule as thornes the flesh. 1 Tim. 6.10. 3. in the respect of the end, thornes are for fire, so lusts either for the fire of the Spirit of God, or of the wrath of God.
And the deceitfulnesse of riches] Riches are a great portion of the things of this world, the Greeke word rendred deceitfulnesse, signifies the drawing one out of his way,foreign ex a priv. foreign a path, a drawing out of the way. it notes the deceiving which is under the most cunning disguise of that which is good or true, the fairest colour to draw us out of the way. Riches are not deceitfull actively as the heart of man, Ier. 17.5. or as lust, 4 Ephes. 22. but objectivè, because they are those things about which we are deceived, not as they are possessed and used, but as they are 1. coveted. 2. trusted to. 3. ill imployed.
Vers. 24. The Kingdome of heaven] That is, the Gospell, because it is the meanes of setting it up.
Vers. 25. His enemie came and sowed tares among the wheat] So long as the Church wandreth in this world, Hypocrites and wicked men bee mixed with the good and sincere, therefore the godly should arme themselves with patience, see 47. v. the mixture of good and evill must be patiently borne untill the end of the world, because the true and perfect restitution of the Church shall not bee before that time.
This Text hath much prevailed with many of the Ancient and moderne Divines,Mr. Bedfords examination of the Arguments of the compassionate Samaritane. to draw them to the use of much, peradventure overmuch, clemency toward Hereticks. Where there is a seeming repugnancy in the Texts, there it is fit the plaine precepts should guide our practice, rather than darke and obscure parables. The meaning of our Saviour is not to forbid the use either of the spirituall or civill sword. These tares in the Parable are expounded to be the children of the wicked, that is, of that wicked one the Devill. Why therefore should it be so expounded, as to favour Heretickes rather than Hypocrites? The intention of the Parable doubtlesse is to shew that there is no expectation of universall purity in the Church of God during this life; this is the intention, and farther than so it is not doctrinall; it is evident that hee who forbad to pluck up the tares, did not forbid to hinder the sowing of them.
He that sowes the good seed is Christ our Saviour, the field is the world,Rainold. de lib. Apoc. tomo secundo. praelect. 171. the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, the tares are the sons of that evill one, the enemy which soweth them is the devill, the reapers are the Angells, the harvest is the end of the world.
Ver. 31. By these parables Christ encourageth his Disciples, lest they being offended with the small and base beginning of the Gospell should give back, therefore the Kingdom is compared to a graine of mustard seed, and leaven.
Vers. 32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds] One of the least, or least of all those which after grew so big.
Lodge *Vocem foreign (quae & in Graeco Danielis 4.18. in re simili occur rit.) Fateor non malè versum nidulari: at quid opus fuit à veteri recedere qui (verbo habitandi usus) tantundem ac meo animo elegantius expressit. Avicula est parvula, nomen ei Cassita, habitat nidulaturque in segetibus. Gel. l. 2. c. 29. Pricaus in loc. Graecè est foreign, quod quidam vertunt nidulentur: nam & Interpres supra 8. ver. 28. foreign vertit nidos. Rectius tamen congruere videtur habitandi vox, quia non nidificandi tantum gratia agunt in arboribus volucres▪ verùm etiam habitandi & versandi dum nullis opus habent nidis, dum scilicet carent pullis. Caeterum vox foreign quod est tabernaculum deducta, loco convenit, eo quòd frondosae arboris rami sint aviculis veluti tabernaculum seu tentorium. Lucas Brugensis Comment. in 4. Evang. Id est ut quasi habitent in ramis ejus, Psal. 104 13. neque enim de nidis tantum agitur. Respiciunt haec verba Nabuchadonosoris somnium apud Danielem 4.9. Grot. in loc. Videsis mea Critica Graeca.] The Greek word signifies properly, to dwell in a Tabernacle. Beza translates it, make their nests; the vulgar dwell.
Ver. 33. This Parable is the same in effect with the former. A woman] He instanceth in her, because it is their way and nature to do it; the word of God rooted in the heart seasons the whole man.
Chrysostome saith, the meaning is, that the Apostles should bring many nations to the Christian faith, as leaven is wont to turne a great deale of meale into its own nature; Leaven though small doth so spread its force, that a great heap of meale is leavened therewith.
Vers. 34. He used not these continuall Parables so much for instruction sake, as to make the hearers attentive, and more apt for another time.
Vers. 38. The field is the world] Christ meant not the wide world (but by an usuall trope) the Church scattered throughout the world, as John 3.16. 1 John 2.2. Else there had been no place for the servants wonder, that the world should be full of wicked persons. ver. 27.
Vers. 43. Then] The adverbe of time then is very forcible, for it containeth a secret opposition to the present state, and of the last day, in hope whereof Christ comforteth all his faithfull ones. Calvin.
Vers. 44. The scope of that Parable is this, If one should come into any of our fields, and by searching find a gold mine, he would not make it known to any, but cover it close and go his way, and sell all that he had to buy the field, that thereby he might enrich himself: even so having found this, that the Gospell revealeth the way to life everlasting, though we must not conceale the same from others, yet we must be like this man herein, that we could be content to part with all that we have, that so we might make the Gospell ours.Perkins on Rev.
All that he hath] Parts with the inward love and outward practice of sin; Christ crucified must be our treasure; there are five things intimated in the Parable, 1. We must find this treasure, so much is implyed in the word hidden, for we cannot have a thing that is hid before we find it. Mat. 11.25. 2. We must highly prize, and value it, so here, and Paul Phil. 3.8. 3. Obtaine and get it, so here, and Mat. 6.20. 4. Assure it to our selves, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18, 19. 5. Vse it as a treasure, have our conversation in heaven, for there Christ our treasure is, and where our treasure is there will our hearts be.
Luk. 12.33.Vers. 46. And bought it] Ob. Esay 55.1. Ans. Heavenly life is the free gift of God, yet we are said to buy the same, when we do willingly bridle the desires of the flesh that we be not thereby hindered from obtaining the same. Phil. 3.8.
By that a man hath, is meant sin, and by selling it, the renouncing and disclaming of sin.Not pawn, but sell them. The sinner must sell all that he hath, not his Goods, Lands, Children, for these be none of his own, God hath lent him these to use, our sins are our own and nothing else: He that will have part in Christ, must part with his sins, make a through sale, forsake them all, and for ever.
Vers. 51. All the Parables were expounded privately to the Disciples, but now after that the Lord had so lovingly instructed them, he also admonisheth them, that they should not be wise for themselves only, but impart unto others that which was committed to them; therefore he saith, that Teachers are like to housholders, which are not only carefull to provide for themselves, but lay up also for the nourishment of others.
Vers. 52. Every Scribe] This name, though given to some, who besides the ordinary function wrote something, 1 Chron. 24.6. yet was given not from writing, but because they were skilfull in the word written. See Mat. 23.34.
New and old] Are new and old meates, Piscator, Grotius. New and old fruits, Drusius. Although some would have the Old and new Testament to be understood, that is, the Law and Gospell. Calvin interprets it of their divers and manifold waies of dispensing heavenly mysteries, which they do apply to every mans capacity.
Vers. 55. Is not this the Carpenters son] Christ himselfe Mark 6.3. is called the Carpenter; and Justin Martyr saith,Faber Latine & foreign Graecè, vocessūt significationis amplae, ad omnes artifices, qui corporis labore adhibito, è quavis duriore materia aliquid struunt, se extendentis, unde fit, ut varient opiniones, cujus generis faber Joseph fuerit, aliis existimantibus fuisse fabrum ferrarium, D. Hilario in hunc locum, aliis lignarium. Augustino. Lucas Brugensis Comment. in 4. Evang. Fabri silius] Scilicet lignarij, qui aedificia struit …is enim foreign dicitur. De Dieu in loc. that he made plows and yokes before he exercised the function of the ministery.
Hereupon Julian the Apostata scoffed at Christ our Saviour, saying (at his going against the Persians) to the Christians, what doth the Carpenters Son now?Cum Julianus bellā esset contra Persas facturus, & minatus fuisset se post bellum ecclesias graviter afflicturum, & petulanter insultaret, filium fabri nihil illis affere posse subsidii, Dydimus vir ecclesiasticus hanc de eo pronunciavit sententiam: Iste fabri filius arcam ei ligneam ad mortem parat. Sozom. Hist. Eccl. l. 6. c. 2. And threatning, that after his returne he should not be able to save them from his fury: whereto a godly man answered by the spirit of Prophecy, He whom Julian calleth the Carpenters Son is making a woodden Coffin for him against his death; and a little after in that battell he dyed miserably.
Vers. 57. A Prophet is not without honour, save in his own Country] It may be this was a generall Proverbe, that they which are eminent in gifts, are no where less esteemed than in their own Countrey;Vide Piscat. but Calvin and Chrysostome think the Jews were especially reproved by this saying, Christ was never less esteemed any where than in Galilee.