The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECTION XXXVII.

MATTH. Chap. XIII. from the beginning to Ver. 54.

MARK Chap. IV. from the beginning to Ver. 35.

LUKE Chap. VIII. from Ver. 4, to Ver. 19.

The Parable of the Sower: and divers other Parables.

MATTHEWS transition doth again cleer the order here. The same day went Jesus, &c. The same day that his Mother and brethren came to him, as is apparent in the twelfth Chapter. So that this consideration helpeth to methodize the order of Luke: for whereas the other two have set the coming of Christs mother and brethren before his ut∣tering of the Parable of the Sower, &c. he hath set it after; and that without contrariety though with diversity. For both the occurrences were on the same day: and he hath by this order shewed how the mother and friends of Christ having once found him, went a∣long with him, whether to prosecute the intention they came upon, or better convinced to attend him and his doctrine.

CHRIST speaking of Parables, which he doth so exceeding much through the Gos∣pel, was according to the stile and Manner of that Nation, which were exceedingly ac∣customed to this manner of Rhetorick. The Talmuds are abundantly full of this kind of oratory, and so are generally all their ancient writers: and they commonly enter upon their Parables with this preface 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: A Parable: To what is the thing like? which stile he also useth not seldom. And sometime they enter upon it more

abruptly with such an entrance as this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To a man, or To a King of flesh and blood, &c. meaning, It is like to a man or like to a King, &c. I believe there are very many in the world, that have not been further acquainted with the writings of the Jews then what they have seen quoted by other writers, and yet are ready to censure them of lies and falshoods [which indeed they are not free from] meerly upon want of acquain∣tance with their stile of Parables and hyperboles.

Very good use may be made of the Talmudick treatises, Peah, Demai, and Kilaim, which treats intentionally concerning sowing and seeds, for illustration of these Para∣bles. In Kilaim, they dispute of sowing 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon rocks and upon stones, and of mingling 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, wheat and tares, &c. cap. 1. In Peah in Tal. Jerus. fol. 20. they speak of a tree of mustardseed, that one might climbe into like other trees, &c. And in divers other passages in these Parables, some light may be fetched from those tracts: seeing Christ all along speaketh of things usual and most particularly usual among that Nation.