51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye [this man this wisdom, and these understood all these things ? They ' mighty works ?
Bay unto him^ Yea, Lord. | 55 Is not this the cai-penter's son ?
52 Then said he unto them, There- is not his mother called Mary i and fore every Scribe ivJiich is instructed his brethren, James, and Joses, and unto the kiugdom of heaven is like ' Simon, and Judas ? unto a man tJiat is an householder, [ 56 And his sisters, are they not all
which bringeth forth out of his trea- sure things new and old.
53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath i
with us ? Whence then hath this man all these things ?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of theu" unbelief.
The first thing which we ought to notice in these verses, is the striking question with which our Lord winds up the seven wonderful parables of this chapter. He said, " Have ye understood all these things .?"
Personal application has been called the " soul" of preaching. A sermon without application is like a letter posted without a direction. It may be well-written, rightly dated, and duly signed. But it is useless, be- cause it never reaches its destination. Our Lord's inquiry is an admirable example of real heart-searching application, " Have ye understood ?"
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The mere form of hearing a sermon can profit no man, unless he comprehends what it means. He might just as well listen to the blowing of a trumpet, or the beating of a drum. He might just as veil attend a Roman Catholic service in Latin. His intellect must be set in motion, and his heart impressed. Ideas must be received into his mind. He must carry off the seeds of new thoughts. Without this he hears in vain.
It is of great importance to see this point clearly. There is a vast amount of ignorance about it. There are thousands who go regularly to places of worship, and think they have done their religious duty, but never carry away an idea, or receive an impression. Ask them, when they return home on a Sunday evening, what they have learned, and they cannot tell you a word. Examine them at the end of a year, as to the religious knowledge they have attained, and you will find them as ignorant as the heathen.
Let us watch our souls in this matter. Let us take with us to Church, not only our bodies, but our minds, our reason, our hearts, and our consciences. Let us often ask ourselves, "What have I got from this sermon ? what have I learned ? what truths have been impressed on my mind ?" Intellect, no doubt, is not everything in religion. But it does not therefore follow that it is nothing at all. — The heart is unquestionp,bly the main point. But we must never forget that the Holy Ghost generally reaches the heart through the mind. — Sleepy, idle, inattentive hearers, are never likely to be con- verted.
The second thin^: which we ouorht to notice in these