He also that receiveth seed among the thorns
The hearer that is like to the thorny ground, on which the seed
fell,
is he that heareth the word;
not a profane sinner, nor a reviler of religion, or a persecutor
of the saints; but one that not only shows a love to the word,
but who seems to have his heart broken under it, and by it, his
conscience tender, and his life outwardly reformed; one, who
besides his being a settled, diligent, understanding, and
affectionate hearer of the word, and a believing receiver and
professor of it, seems to have a thorough work of grace upon him,
to have the fallow ground of his heart ploughed up, and to be
truly contrite; the thorns being under ground, and not yet to be
seen, but afterwards appear:
and the care of this world;
not the care of another world, nor a care about spiritual things
in this world, nor even a proper, laudable care of the things of
this present life, but an anxious and immoderate care of them;
which, as thorns, is very perplexing and distressing to the
persons themselves, and is what is vain and fruitless.
And the deceitfulness of riches:
in opposition to some riches, the riches of grace and glory,
which have no deceit in them; and not riches themselves, bare
worldly riches but the deceitfulness of them, is here taken
notice of; for riches often delude, and lead persons out of the
right way, out of God's way; cause them to err from the faith;
they do not give the satisfaction they promise, and often do not
continue, as is expected: and are as thorns, pungent to the
owners of them, who pierce themselves through with many sorrows
in acquiring and keeping them; and are frequently injurious to
others, their fellow creatures; and in the issue are useless and
unprofitable, especially with respect to the concerns of another
world. Mark adds, "and the lusts of other things"; besides
riches; and Luke adds, and "pleasures of this life"; meaning
divers other worldly lusts and pleasures, such as the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life: which also,
like thorns, are distracting and afflicting, sooner or later; are
vain, and unprofitable, and lead to destruction: and these are
called "the pleasures of this life", in opposition to, and
distinction from the pleasures of that which is to come, which
are real and lasting: the phrase is Jewish F18;
``says R. Judah, the prince, whoever takes upon him, (hzh) (Mlweh ygwnet) , "the pleasures of this world", to him are denied the pleasures of the world to come: and whoever does not take upon him "the pleasures of this world", to him are given the pleasures of the world to come.''Now these, all, and each of them,
choke the word:
by overspreading all the powers and faculties of the soul, as
thorns do a field; by overtopping the seed of the word, and by
hiding it from the influences of the sun of righteousness, and
rain of grace; and by attracting everything in the heart to
themselves; and by bearing and pressing down all thought,
concern, and care for the use, fruitfulness, and increase of the
word.
And he becometh unfruitful:
as in such circumstances he must needs be; or if there be any
show of fruit in outward respect to the word, in an historical
faith of it, in an external profession, and outward reformation,
"yet brings not fruit to perfection", as Luke says; these in
process of time shrivel up, wither away, and come to nothing.
F18 Abot R. Nathan, c. 28. Vid. Kimchi & Ben Melech in Psal. xvi 5. & Eben Ezra in Psal. xix. 10.
