" Man, who made me a judge or a divider over 66 you?" 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." And he spake a parable unto them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought " forth plentifully: and he thought within him"self, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he " said, This will I do: I will pull down my "barns, and build greater; and there will I be" stow all my fruits and my goods. And I will 66 say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods " laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, " drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required "of thee: then whose shall those things be, "which thou hast provided ? So is he that " layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich "toward God.* " Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide "yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure " in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief "approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For "where your treasure is, there will your heart be "also. "Let your loins be girded about, and your "lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto " men that wait for their lord, when he will re"turn from the wedding; that when he cometh " and knocketh, they may open unto him im a Neglects to provide for eternity. ► The Jews wore loose garments, which they girded about them when they were preparing for any business. "mediately. Blessed are those servants, whom "the lord when he cometh shall find watching: "verily I say unto you, That he shall gird him"self, and make them to sit down to meat, and "will come forth and serve them. And if he " shall come in the second watch, or come in "the third watch, and find them so, blessed aré " those servants. And this know, that if the "good man of the house had known what hour "the thief would come, he would have watched, "and not have suffered his house to be broken "through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the "Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think "not." Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, "Who then is that "faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall " make ruler over his houshold, to give them " their portion of meat in due season? Blessed " is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh " shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto 66 you, That he will make him ruler over all that " he hath. But and if that servant say in his " heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall " begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, " and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the " lord of that servant will come in a day when " he looketh not for him, and at an hour when "he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, " and will appoint him his portion with the un • Raise them to the greatest honours. ► The Jews distinguished the time of night by four watches. The first watch, which was called evening, began at six o'clock, and ended at nine. : "believers. And that servant, which knew his " lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither " did according to his will, shall be beaten with "many stripes. But he that knew not, and did "commit things worthy of stripes, shall be "beaten with few stripes. For unto whomso"ever much is given, of him shall be much re"quired: and to whom men have committed "much, of him they will ask the more. 2 "I am come to send fire on the earth: and "what will I, if it be already kindled ? But I " have a baptism to be baptized with; and how " am I straitened till it be accomplished! Sup pose ye that I am come to give peace on "earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: "for from henceforth there shall be five in one "house divided, three against two, and two " against three. The father shall be divided " against the son, and the son against the father; "the mother against the daughter, and the "daughter against the mother; the mother in " law against her daughter in law, and the " daughter in law against her mother in law." And he said also to the people, "When ye " see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye "say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. "And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, "There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. "Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the "sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do "not discern this time?' "Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye " not what is right? When thou goest with thine • I am to suffer affliction. " adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the "way, give diligence that thou mayest be deli"vered from him; lest he hale thee to the "judge, and the judge deliver thee to the offi 66 cer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I " tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till " thou hast paid the very last mite." 48. The calamities of certain Galileans a warning to the Jews. THERE were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, "Suppose ye that "these Galileans were sinners above all the "Galileans, because they suffered such things? "I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye " shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, 66 upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew " them, think ye that they were sinners above " all men that dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you, "Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all like" wise perish." He spake also this parable; " A certain man had a fig tree planted in his "vineyard; and he came and sought fruit "thereon, and found none. Then said he unto "the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these "three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, " and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth "it the ground? And he answering said unto "him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I * Repent in time, the only way to avoid divine wrath. GS "shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear "fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou "shalt cut it down." : 49. Parables. The reason why Jesus used them. An explanation of one of them. 1. 1 Sea of Galilee. The same day went Jesus out of Place. the house, and sat by the sea-side. And he began again to teach by the sea-side; and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, "Hearken: Behold, there went " out a sower to sow: and it came to pass, as " he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it "was trodden down, and the fowls of the air "came and devoured it up. And some fell on 66 stony ground, where it had not much earth; " and immediately it sprang up, because it had "no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, "it was scorched; and because it had no root, "it withered away. And some fell among "thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked " it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on "good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang 66 up and increased; and brought forth, some "thirty, and some sixty, and some an hun"dred." And when he had said these things, he cried, "He that hath ears to hear, let him " hear." 3 |