George Fox Works IV.p78-80 "A visitation to all you that have long had the scriptures"

Now you may all come to see what sort of people they were whose hearts were waxed gross, and ears dull of hearing, and could not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, lest they should be converted, and Christ should heal them; such as were out of the life of the law, and were from that of God in them, in the unconverted estate, against whom Christ cried woe: for how can they hear with their ears, or see with their eyes, that are from the life of the law? and how otherwise can it be, but that their hearts will wax fat and gross, and be hardened with the deceit, who go from the life of the law, which is the eye which God blinds not, who is light, and teach men's commandments for doctrines; such as hear not the light of the law, are blind, and are such as run into the lust, whose hearts grow fat; and are such as have a wisdom, and a prudent understanding, but as to hearing or seeing the things of God, their eyes are made blind, and ears they have, but

hear not, and hearts they have, but understand not; and cannot understand with their hearts, nor see with their eyes, lest any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and I should convert them, and they should be healed....

Therefore parables were spoken to these which were gone from the life of the law, which did not understand with their heart the mystery of the kingdom, to be converted and healed: for such as understood, came with heart to the life of the law, the light, to converting and healing; others stood against it, and that eye was blinded, so saw them not, and were not converted: and all dullness of hearing was among them that were from the life of the law, the light: which life of the law gave to see before transgression was; and so these that did not understand with their heats, not converted, not healed, were they that were gone from the light, the life of the law; such could not see the second covenant, when he was come, and to these Christ opened his mouth in parables, and uttered forth things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world, to the fulfilling of the prophet's words who were in the life; and to those that were out of the light, the life of law, were the parables spoke; but blessed saith Christ to his disciples, are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear....

Contributed by SW