gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them : but gather the wheat into my barn.
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field :
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but wlien it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
33 Another parable spake he unto them : The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,. which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables ; and without a parable spake he not unto them :
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables ; I will utter things which have been
kept secret from the foundation of the world.
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house : and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man ;
38 The field is the world • the good seed are the children of the kingdom ; but the tares are the children of the wicked one ;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gath- ered and burned in the fire • so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity ;
42 And shall east them into a fur- nace of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hoar, let him hear.
The parable of the wheat and tares^ which occupies the chief part of these verses, is one of peculiar importance in the present day.'"'-" It is .eminently calculated to correct the extravagant expectations in which many Christians indulge, as to the effect of missions abroad, and of preach- ing the Gospel at home. May we give it the attention which it deserves !
In the first place, this parable teaches us, that good and evil will always he found together in the prof essing Church, until the end of the loorld.
The visible Church is set before us as a mixed body.
* The consideration of the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven is purposely deferred till a future part of the Exposition.