3. Pray for strength of faith, and a sense of the reality of heavenly things, that no earthly things may rise up to hinder the growth of spiritual religion in your heart.

4. Pray that your heart, being prepared by the Spirit of God, may receive simply and effectually the preaching of the Gospel, and may shew its power in your whole conduct abundantly.

VIII. THE PRAYER.

[1] O gracious God and Father, let thy grace continually soften my heart; so that I may be ever ready to hear and receive thy holy word, with an humble feeling of its great value, and my great need of instruction. Let no worldly thoughts or inclinations ever have power to harden my heart against thy goodness, nor to make my mind dull in understanding it. From hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment, good Lord deliver me. [2] Send Thy Holy Spirit with power into my heart, to make my conviction of sin deep and abiding-to establish me in the truth-to awaken me truly and fully to spiritual things; so that in all the changes and chances of this mortal life, I may embrace and ever hold fast that blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. [3] Increase my faith; enable me to cleave unto Thee with full purpose of heart, and to seek thy kingdom and righteousness before all. Grant me grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with a pure heart and mind to follow Thee the only true God. [4] May thy Spirit and thy Providence so

work in me, that my heart may be set to obey thy commandments. By thy special grace preparing me put into my mind good desires, and by thy continual help enable me to bring the same to good effect; and grant that plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, I may by thee be plenteously rewarded, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Our Father, &c.

SIXTY-SIXTH PORTION.

I. BEGINNING PRAYER.

MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN.

II. THE SCRipture.

Read St. Matthew's Gospel, c. xiii. v. 10 to 17.
III. THE MEANINGS;

or sense of some words as used in this portion.

When our Lord had told the story of the sower and the seed, his disciples (that is those persons who regularly attended his teaching) came up to him, and asked him why he made use of parables in teaching the people. Jesus answered their question by telling them that they, being his chosen disciples, had a greater advantage than the people to whom he was preaching. The things relating

VOL. II

to the power of the Gospel which are beyond the wisdom of men (and are therefore called "mysteries") were to be explained to them, but were left unexplained to the people. He told them of that rule of grace which he afterwards repeated upon several occasions; that those who receive the spiritual instruction given them so as to take it in (see page 192) shall have abundantly more opportunity, and more instruction: while, on the contrary, those who do not so take advantage of the instruction they have, as to lay hold of it and profit by it, shall not be allowed the benefit of that instruction which they neglect. It was for this reason that he taught the multitude of the Jews by telling them the doctrines of the Gospel in comparisons (called parables), because while they saw what Christ did, they did not take heed to His mighty works-and while they heard His words, they did not hearken to the lessons which He taught, nor consequently understand how to apply the lessons to themselves. He referred them to the message which Isaiah was ordered to carry to the Jews of his time; and declared that the same thing might be said of the Jews to whom Christ was then preaching, which had been said concerning those of the former generation. (Isaiah vi. 9, 10.) Though they listened he message of God, as far as outward

went, they would not understand; and their minds looked to the subject, and the thoughts, so that they might be see the meaning, they would not regard pply it. What caused this state was by continually neglecting their soul, ther got to love only carnal things, stupidly

choosing them before spiritual things; (this is the meaning of the heart being "waxed gross" -or "made fat" as it is in Isaiah.) They had no quickness in finding out the excellent things they heard, but listened without understanding, like deaf men-they did not like to see the real application of the truths set before them -they wilfully shut their eyes against spiritual light: because they had a fear that if they attended to the instruction, they must give up their carnal things, and might be forced to see the light, and hear the truth, and feel its power; and thus might repent and be changed, and taken out of their sinful courses, and have their souls brought into a healthy state by Christ.

Having made this application of the prophecy to the people, our Lord told his disciples that they on the other hand, enjoyed a particular blessing; for that their understandings were not thus darkened, nor their hearing of instruction thus in vain. They saw and heard to some purpose, which was a special privilege to them Many of God's prophets, and servants in old time had longed to see the things which had been foretold about Christ, and to hear him preach the glad tidings; but they had been called out of the world before these things happened: whereas the Apostles had been favoured both in seeing and hearing the Christ who had been so long expected. (1 Pet. i. 10-12. Heb. xi. 39, 40.)

V. THE REPETITION.

Now read again the Scripture, see No. II.

VI. THE APPLICATION.

1. The general state of man's nature is the same in every time, and in every generation; and