Matthew 13:23

(vid. Cyp. Tr. iv. 12.) Or, The hundred-fold fruit is to be ascribed to virgins, the sixty-fold to widows and continent persons, the thirty-fold to chaste wedlock.

Then of virtue also He brings forward different forms. For being full of love to man, He marked out not one only way, nor did He say, "unless one bring forth an hundred, he is an outcast;" but he that brings forth sixty is saved also, and not he only, but also the producer of thirty. And this He said, making out salvation to be easy. And thou then, art thou unable to practise virginity? Be chaste in marriage. Art thou unable to strip thyself of thy possessions? Give of thy substance. Canst thou not bear that burden? Share thy goods with Christ. Art thou unwilling to yield Him up all? Give Him but the half, but the third part. He is thy brother, and joint-heir, make Him joint-heir with thee here too. Whatsoever thou givest Him, thou wilt give to thyself.

Having therefore spoken of the ways of destruction, afterwards He mentions the good ground, not suffering them to despair, but giving a hope of repentance, and indicating that it is possible to change from the things before mentioned into this. And yet if both the land be good, and the Sower one, and the seed the same, wherefore did one bear a hundred, one sixty, one thirty? Here again the difference is from the nature of the ground, for even where the ground is good, great even therein is the difference. Seest thou, that not the husbandman is to be blamed, nor the seed, but the land that receives it? not for its nature, but for its disposition. And herein too, great is His mercy to man, that He doth not require one measure of virtue, but while He receives the first, and casts not out the second, He gives also a place to the third.

The forms of virtue vary, and those who progress in virtue vary. Do you see the order in the parable? We must first hear and understand it so that we may not be like those who are by the way side. Then we must hold …

But the good earth brings forth fruit through patience, because clearly our good works are nothing if we do not also bear with equanimity the evils of our neighbors. For the higher anyone has advanced, the more he finds in this world what he must bear more harshly, because when our mind's love for the present age diminishes, the adversity of that same age increases. Hence it is that we see many both doing good and yet laboring under the heavy burden of tribulations. For they now flee earthly desires, and yet are wearied by harsher afflictions. But according to the word of the Lord they bring forth fruit through patience, because when they humbly accept afflictions, after the afflictions they are sublimely received into rest. Thus the grape is crushed by treading and is liquefied into the flavor of wine. Thus the olive, pressed by crushing, leaves behind its bitter residue and grows rich into the liquid of oil. Thus by the threshing of the floor the grains are separated from the chaff and arrive purified at the granary. Therefore whoever desires to fully conquer vices, let him strive to humbly endure the afflictions of his purification, so that he may come before the Judge all the more pure afterward, the more the fire of tribulation now purges away his rust. In that portico which serves as a passageway for those going to the church of blessed Clement, there was a certain man named Servulus, whom many of you knew along with me—poor in possessions, rich in merits—whom a long illness had weakened. For from his earliest age until the end of his life he lay paralyzed. What shall I say, that he could not stand? He was never able to rise in his bed even to sit, never able to bring his hand to his mouth, never able to turn himself to his other side. […]

But he who was sown upon good ground etc. Having expounded the threefold disposition toward evil, he adds the disposition toward good, which he distinguishes by three effects, because first he hears, then further, and understands, and then he bears fruit and yields, some a …

Thirdly, Not all alike fruitful; some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. Note, Among fruitful Christians, some are more fruitful than others: where there is true grace, yet there are degrees of it; some are of greater attainments in knowledge and holiness than others; all Christ's scholars are not in the same form.

Here are two parables intended to show that there would be a mixture of good and bad in the gospel church, which would continue till the great separation between them in the judgment day: the parable of the tares put forth (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

But he that received seed into the good ground,....

The chapter which these verses begin is remarkable for the number of parables which it contains. Seven striking illustrations of spiritual truth are here drawn by the great head of the church from the book of nature. By so doing he shows us that religious teaching may draw help from everything in creation. Those that would “find out acceptable words” should not forget this.(Eccl 12:10) The parable of the sower, which begins this chapter, is one of those parables which admit of a very wide application. It is being continually verified under our own eyes.

The chapter which these verses begin is remarkable for the number of parables which it contains. Seven striking illustrations of spiritual truth are here drawn by the great head of the church from the book of nature. By so doing he shows us that religious teaching may draw help from everything in creation. Those that would “find out acceptable words” should not forget this.(Eccl 12:10) The parable of the sower, which begins this chapter, is one of those parables which admit of a very wide application. It is being continually verified under our own eyes. Wherever the Word of God is preached or expounded and people are assembled to hear it, the sayings of our Lord in this parable are found to be true. It describes what goes on, as a general rule, in all congregations. Let us learn in the first place, from this parable that the work of the preacher resembles that of the sower. Like the sower, the preacher must sow good seed if he wants to see fruit. He must sow the pure Word of God, and not the traditions of the church or the doctrines of men. Without this, his labor will be vain. He may go to and fro, and seem to say much, and to work much in his weekly round of ministerial duty, but there will be no harvest of souls for heaven, no living results, and no conversions. Like the sower, the preacher must be diligent. He must spare no pains; he must use every possible means to make his work prosper; he must patiently sow beside all waters, and sow in hope. He must “instant in season and out of season,” he must not be deterred by difficulties and discouragements; “he that observeth the wind shall not sow.” No doubt his success does not entirely depend upon his labor and diligence, but without labor and diligence success will not be obtained.(Isa 32:20 2 Tim 4:2 Eccl 11:4 ) Like the sower, the preacher cannot give life.

Good ground - That which had depth of mould, was well ploughed, and well weeded. Is he that heareth - Who diligently attends the ministry of the word. And understandeth it - Lays the subject to heart, deeply weighing its nature, design, and importance. Which also beareth fruit - His fruitfulness being an almost necessary consequence of his thus laying the Divine message to heart.