Vol. 2

50 ST. MARK.The first is, their being abandoned to their owndarkness. The second, their not being able to understandthe truths of salvation. The third, theirnot obeying them. The fourth, their remainingin their sins. And the fifth, their being condemned.God is pleased to give examples of this, to the endthat the children of promise may know how muchthey owe to grace. It is a mistake to imagine, thatwhatever appears most severe and rigorous in theconduct of God oughtto be concealed from Christians.He himself instructs us in it, on purposethat we should take great notice of it on proper occasions,and glorify him on the account of all thegood we do, and of all the evil which we avoid." 13. And he said unto them. Know ye not thisparable ? and how then will you know all parables ?"Jesus Christ is very careful to make his apostlessensible, how incapablethey naturally are of understandingthe Scriptures and mysteries, to the endthat they might not ascribe to themselves that knowledgeof them which he should one day confer uponthem. He here, by intimation, shows the extent ofthat knowledge of the Scriptures which the ministersof the gospel ought to have, in order to awaken theirattention, to excite in them a desire to be instructedtherein, and to make them apprehend how muchthey stand in need of him to this end." 14. f The sower soweth the word."The word of God is the seed of salvation. Hadwe, at the time of hearing the word preached, butthis truth before our eyes, That it is the word ofGod, and that this word is the seed of salvation,could we possibly receive it with a faith so weak and