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DISCOURSE III.

LUKE ix. 54, 55.

And when his Difciples James and John faw this, they faid, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven, and confume them, even as Elias did? But be turned and rebuked them, and faid, Ye` know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of

W

HAT Provocation the Difciples had

to call Fire from Heaven to confume the Samaritans, may be learnt from the 51ft and following Verses: And it came to pass, when the Time was come that he should be received up, he fledfaftly fet his Face to go to Jerufalem; and fent Messengers before his Face: And they went and entered into a Village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his

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Face was as though he would go to JeruSalem. And when his Difciples James and John faw this, they faid, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven, and confume them, even as Elias did? And he turned and rebuked them, and faid, Ye know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to deftroy Men's Lives, but to fave them.The Hatred between the Jews and Samaritans was founded in a religious Controverfy; and had proceeded fo far, that all Offices of common Humanity had ceased between them; infomuch that when our Saviour asked a Women of that Country, but for a little Water to drink, fhe marvelled at it, and faid, How is it, that thou being a Jew afkeft Drink of me, which am a Woman of Samaria? John, iv. 9. The Reason of her Wonder is added in the next Words; For the Jews bave no Dealings with the Samaritans. From the 20th Verfe of the fame Chapter we may gather what the Foundation of this Quarrel was: Our Fathers, fays the Woman, worshipped in this Mountain; and ye fay, that in Jerufalem is the Place where Men ought to worship. This Account iş likewife confirmed by Jofephus, who tells

us,

us, that there were perpetual Quarrels and Animofities between the Jews and Samaritans, occafioned by a Contest concerning the Holiness of their Temples: the One affirming the Temple at Jerufalem to be holy; and that all Jews ought to fend their Offerings thither: the others affirming the fame concerning the Temple in Mount Gerizim.

It was about the Time of the Paffover, that our Saviour took this Journey to Jerufalem, as we may collect from what is faid in the 51ft Verfe; And it came to pass when the Time was come that he should be received up, he ftedfaftly fet his Face to go to Jerufalem. The Time that our Saviour was received up, we know, was at the Jewifh Paffover; and this Time being come, when this Journey was made, fhews it to be about the Time of the Celebration of this Feaft. And this may account, together with what has been already faid, for the unkind Reception which the Difciples met with in Samaria. The Samaritans finding them upon a Journey to Jerufalem about the Time of the Paffover, concluded that they were going to celebrate the Feaft there, and confequently were fuch as esteemed the Temple of Jerufalem to be the true Place of Wor

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ship, and were Despisers of the Temple in the Mount of Samaria. For this Reason they refused to afford them any Entertainment in their Village; but fent them out to profecute their Journey, without the neceffary Refreshments for it. This raised the Indignation of the Difciples: they immediately call to Mind the Story of Elias; it was in Samaria that Elias had destroyed the Captains and their Fifties with Fire from Heaven; the Place itself prompted them to imitate the noble Vengeance, that had once before been executed there; they knew that a greater than Elias was there now, and had been more barbarously treated: why not then the like exemplary Punishment? Why fhould not the Fire of Heaven come down to confume the Enemies of God's own Son, as once it did to deftroy the Enemies of his Prophet? Warm with these Thoughts, and full of Refentment for their Master's Honour, they apply to him, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven and confume them, even as Elias did? But he felt other Resentments than theirs ; and turned about, and calmly rebuked them, faying, Ye know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of.

I have been the larger in fetting forth the Circumstances of this Story, because in fo many Inftances they are applicable to our own Cafe. It was Hatred that grew out of a religious Controverfy, that bred the Treafon of this Day: it was Fire, though not from Heaven, that was called for to decide the Dispute it was Zeal for Chrift, but not according to Knowledge, that prompted to the Revenge: the Revenge was bloody and unchristian; and to every One concerned in it does the Voice of Chrift reach, Ye know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of.

It would be endlefs on this Occafion to run into the Controverfies that are between us and the Church of Rome: the Cafe we have this Day to plead with them, wants not the Support which the Righteousness of our Cause might afford it. Let them be the Disciples: let us be the Samaritans ; mistaken, nay, obftinately mistaken in our Religion let them have all the Advantage that the Parallel in the Text can afford them let them call us Heretics, Schifmatics, Aliens from the Body and Church of Christ yet, after all, their furious Rage, and their cruel Thirft after Blood entitle them to the Reproof of their Lord, Ye know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of.

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