eeing they might not see." Two
different objects were effected at the same time, and by the same
act, corresponding to those two terms; it is true that the Lord
employed parables, as one employs pictures to teach a child,
_because_ his auditors were children in understanding; and it is
also true that he veiled his doctrines under metaphor _in order
that_ those who were children in understanding but in malice men,
might not perceive his drift, and so might not violently interfere
to suppress his ministry. Thus according to the explanation which he
gave at the moment, "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken away even that he hath" (Matt. xiii. 12).

IV.--THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLES.

Of the parables in particular, as of the Scriptures generally, it is
true that faith is necessary to the full appreciation of their meaning.
That you must understand the Scriptures in order to have faith, and have
faith in order to understand the Scriptures, is indeed, a circle; but
it is not a vicious circle. As you approach from without, you may
perceive that the Bible is the word of God, and that the Christ whom it
reveals is the Saviour of sinners; standing now on your new position,
and recognising your Instructor as also your Redeemer, you will discover
in his word a length, and breadth, and height, and depth, which were
formerly concealed. In our day, as well as when the parables were first
spoken, it is to his own disciples that their true meaning is made
known.

Another cognate requisite to the true spiritual comprehension of these
divine sayings, is sympathy with the view which Jesus took and gave of
human nature in its fallen state. He spoke and acted not only as the
Teacher of the ignorant, but also as the Saviour of the lost: if we do
not occupy the same stand-point, and look upon humanity in the same
light, we shall stumble at every step in our effort to comprehend what
the Speaker meant.

These two qualifications are supreme; and they apply alike to divine
revelation as a whole, and to each of its parts; there are others which
are important though subordinate, and which bear more specially on the
particular department of Scripture exegesis with which we are here
engaged, the Parables of the Lord.[8]

[8] The Parables of the Kingdom are, as it were, a picture gallery,
and we walk up and down it, examining eac