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b No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Matt. vi. 24, 25. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, xix. 16-24. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent towards Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly, Gen. xiii. 10-13. And Achan answered Joshua, and said,

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Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done; When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it, Josh. vii. 20, 21. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, Mark x. 23-25. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, Luke xii. 15. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God, 21. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things, 29, 30. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares, xxi. 34. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up,

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and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things, Acts v. 1-11. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, viii. 18. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows, 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 14, 15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world, 1 John ii. 15, 16. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying Core, Jude 11.

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Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness, Psal. lii. 7. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery : if riches

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increase, set not your heart upon them, lxii. 10. He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch, Prov. xi. 28. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven, xxiii. 5. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother'; yet is there no end of all his labour neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail, Eccles. iv. 8. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them : and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? v. 10, 11. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail : and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand, 13, 14. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful, Mark iv. 19. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, Luke xviii. 24, 25. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Tim. vi. 17.

d And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection, Luke viii. 14. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, Jude

12.

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VER. 23.

MATT. XIII. 23.

Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιών ὃς δὲ καρασοφορεῖ, καὶ ποιεῖ, ὁ μὲν ἑκατὸν, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ τριάκοντα.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it, which also © beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, a some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

a But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold, ver. 8. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred, Mark iv. 20. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, Luke viii. 15.

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become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born_not of blood, nor of the will of but the fesh, nor of the will of man, of God, John i. 11-13. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God, viii. 47. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, x. 26, 27. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me, xvii. 7, 8. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were A wise man will hear, and will spoken of Paul, Acts xvi. 14. These increase learning; and a man of un- were more noble than those in Thesderstanding shall attain unto wise salonica, in that they received the counsels: To understand a proverb, word with all readiness of mind, and and the interpretation; the words of searched the Scriptures daily, whe the wise, and their dark sayings, ther those things were so, xvii. 11. Prov. i. 5, 6. So that thou incline thine Ye are witnesses, and God also, how ear unto wisdom, and apply thine holily and justly and unblamably we heart to understanding; yea, if thou behaved ourselves among you that criest after knowledge, and liftest up believe, 1 Thess. ii. 10. For this cause thy voice for understanding; If thou also thank we God without ceasing, seekest her as silver, and searchest because, when ye received the word. for her as for hid treasures; Then of God which ye heard of us, ye reshalt thou understand the fear of the ceived it not as the word of men, but LORD, and find the knowledge of God. as it is in truth, the word of God, For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of which effectually worketh also in you his mouth cometh knowledge and un- that believe. For ye, brethren, bederstanding, ii. 2-6. Cast away from came followers of the churches of you all your transgressions, whereby God which in Judæa are in Christ ye have transgressed; and make you Jesus: For ye also have suffered like a new heart and a new spirit: for things of your own countrymen, even why will ye die, O house of Israel? as they have of the Jews, 13, 14. For Ezek. xviii. 31. A new heart also will unto us was the gospel preached, as I give you, and a new spirit will I well as unto them: but the word put within you: and I will take away preached did not profit them, not be the stony heart out of your flesh, and ing mixed with faith in them that I will give you an heart of flesh, heard it, Heb. iv. 2. For this is the xxxvi. 26. Verily I say unto you, covenant that I will make with the Whosoever shall not receive the king-house of Israel after those days, saith dom of God as a little child, he shall the Lord; I will put my laws into not enter therein, Mark x. 15. He their mind, and write them in their came unto his own, and his own re-hearts: and I will be to them a God, ceived him not. But as many as re- and they shall be to me a people, ceived him, to them gave he power to viii. 10. Wherefore lay apart all filVOL, I

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thiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves, James i. 21, 22. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life, 1 John v. 20.

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Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance, Matt. iii. 8. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit, xii. 33. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, Psal. i. 1-3. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him, xcii. 13-15. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes, Luke vi. 43, 44. And if it bear fruit, well and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down, xiii. 9. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and

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every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit'; so shall ye be my disciples, John xv. 1-8. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you, 16. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law, Gal. v. 22, 23. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory andTMTM praise of God, Phil. i. 11. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, iv. 7. Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth, Col. i. 6. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, 10. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God, Heb. vi. 7. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased, xiii. 15, 16.

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wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality, 2 Cor. viii. 1,2. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ix. 10. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more, 1 Thess. iv. 1. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. i.5-8. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. iii. 18.

VER. 24.

"Αλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς, λέγων. Ομοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ σπείροντι καλὸν σπέρμα ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὑτοῦ.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed a a good seed in his field:

a Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pet. i. 23.

VER. 25.

Ἐν δὲ τῷ καθεύδειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἔσπειρε ζιζάνια ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σίτου, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν.

But while men slept, his b benemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept, Matt. xxv. 5. All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all

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dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber, Isa. lvi. 9, 10. Also of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years, I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears, Acts xx. 30, 31.

b The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels, ver. 39. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works, 2 Cor. xi. 13-15. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. v. 8. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him, Rev. xii. 9. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth he had power to do in the sight by the means of those miracles which of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live, xiii. 14.

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one, ver. 38.

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