23 And when Jefus came into the ruler's houfe, and 24 faw the minstrels, and the people making a noise, He faid unto them, Give place; for the maid is not dead, but fleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, 26 and took her by the hand, and the maid arofe. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. 27 And when Jefus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and faying, Thou Son of 28 David (k), have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jefus faith unto them, Believe ye that I am able 29 to do this? They faid unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, faying, According to your 30 faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jefus ftraightway charged them, faying, See 31 that no man know it (). But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a 33 dumb man poffeffed with a devil. And when the devil was caft out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes marvelled, faying, It was never fo feen in If34 rael. But the Pharifees faid, He cafteth out the devils 35 through the prince of the devils. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their fynagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every fickness, and every disease among the people.. www 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compaffion on them, because they fainted, and were fcattered abroad, as fheep having no 37 fhepherd. Then faith he unto his difciples, The (k) We know by the miracles which thou doft, that thou must be the true Meffiah, or Chrift, defcended according to the prophets from David. (4) Left the fame of his miracles might provoke the Jews to seize him, before he had performed all that he intended to do. harveft harveft truly is plenteous, but the labourers are 38 few (m). Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will fend forth labourers into his harvest, I AND CHA P. X. ND when he had called unto him his twelve difciples, he gave them power againft unclean fpirits, to caft them out, and to heal all manner of fickness, 2 and all manner of difeafe. Now the names of the twelve apoftles are these; The first Simon, who is called Peter (a), and Andrew his brother, James the fon of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the publican, James the fon of Alpheus, and Lebbeus (b), 4 whose furname was Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot (c), who also betrayed him. 5 Thefe twelve Jefus fent forth, and commanded them, 3 faying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and 6 into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not (d). But go 7 rather to the loft fheep of the house of Ifrael (e). And as ye go, preach, faying, The kingdom of heaven is at 8 hand (ƒ). Heal the fick, cleanse the lepers, raise the (m) Many remain to be inftructed; but there are few to inftruct them. (a) Peter was the firft in order, but not in dignity; for all the Apofles had the fame commiffion, and equal authority to govern the Church. Compare Chap. xvi. 19. with xviii. 18. St. Paul alfo withstood. St. Peter to the face, Gal. ii. 11. being in nothing behind the very chiefeft Apoftles. 2 Cor. xi. 5. xii. 11. And the whole Church at Jerufalem called Peter to account. As xi. 2. (b) Lebbeus is another name of Jude, the brother of James, Luke vi. 16. called alfo Thaddeus, Mark iii. 18. (c) Simon and Judas are called Canaanite and Ifcariot from the places they were of, to diftinguish them from others of the like name. (d) At prefent. (e) But rather ufe your beft diligence first to recover the House of Ifrael; for to them were the promises made, though they are now going aftray like loft sheep. (f) See Chap. iii. 2. Note. C. 3 dead, dead, caft out devils: freely ye have received, freely 9 give. Provide neither gold, nor filver, nor brafs (g) in 10 your purfes: Nor fcrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither fhoes, nor yet ftaves: (for the workman II is worthy of his meat.) (b) And into whatsoever city or 14 town ye fhall enter, enquire who in it is worthy, and 12 there abide till ye go thence (i). And when you come 13 into an house, falute it (k): And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you (1). And whofoever fhall not receive you, nor hear your words; when ye depart out of that houfe, or city, fhake off the duft of your feet (m). Verily I fay unto you, It fhall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city. 15 16 Behold, I fend you forth as fheep in the midft of. wolves be ye therefore wife as ferpents, and harm17 lefs as doves. But beware of men (n), for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will fcourge 18 you in their fynagogues. And ye fhall be brought before governors and kings for my fake, for a 19 teftimony against them and the Gentiles. But (g) Encumber not yourfelves with much provifion of money, victuals, or apparel: but truft to the fpecial providence of God on this extraordinary occafion. See Mark vi. 8. Luke ix. 3, 4. xxii. 35. (h) Thofe whom you inftruct will provide for you, according to the juftice of the proverb, the workman, &c. (i) See Mark vi. 10. Note. (k) By wishing the bleffing of peace upon it, which was the ufual falutation among the Jews. (4) Your good withes, though not accepted by them, fhall not be loft: for, God in his good providence will give you that blessing which you kindly with to others. Pfalm xxxv. 13. (m) Since they refufe to be benefited by you, fhew them that you fcorn to carry away any thing that belongs to them, even the duft of their streets. (n) Beware of those men whom I defcribed as wolves. when when they deliver you up, take no thought (2) how or what ye shall fpeak; for it fhall be given you 20 in that fame hour what ye fhall fpeak. For it is not ye that fpeak, but the Spirit of your Father 21 which speaketh in you. And the brother fhall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children fhall rife up against their pa22 rents, and caufe them to be put to death (p). And ye fhall be hated' of all men for my name's fake: but 23 he that endureth to the end, fhall be faved (g). But when they perfecute you in this city, flee ye into another for verily I fay unto you, Ye fhall not have gone over the cities of Ifrael, till the Son of inan be 24 come (r). The difciple is not above his master, nor the 25 fervant above his lord (s). It is enough for the difciple that he be as his mafter, and the fervant as his lord: if they have called the mafter of the house Beelzebub, how much more fall they call them of 26 his houfhold? Fear them not therefore. for there is nothing covered, that fhall not be revealed; and 27 hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light : and what ye hear in (0) Take no thought, fignifies be not over-anxious, as Chap. vi. 31. In ordinary cafes men are left to the due ufe and improvement of their natural powers; but your trials are fo extraordinary, that God. will allow you the immediate affiftance of his holy Spirit, and enable' you to defend the caufe of truth againft all oppofition. (p) Obferve the cruel effects of falfe zeal, which provokes men to perfecute each other for difference of religion. (q) His life fhall be saved. (r) To take vengeance on the Jews. Or perhaps this is rather to be underflood of the defcent of the holy Spirit, which our Saviour calls his own coming, John xiv. 18. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you; meaning that the Comforter whom he would fend, fhould come. After that event the Gofpel was preached to the Gentiles. (s) This is a proverbial expreffion, which our Saviour applies very frequently. 28 the ear, that preach ye upon the houfe tops (t). And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul: but rather fear him which is able 29 to destroy both foul and body in hell. Are not two fparrows fold for a farthing? and one of them fhall not fall on the ground without your Father (u). 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered (w). 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than 32 many sparrows. Whofoever therefore fhall confefs me before men, him will I confefs also before my Fa33 ther which is in heaven. But whofoever fhall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Fa34 ther which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to fend peace on earth (x): I came not to fend 35 peace, but a fword. For I am come to fet a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against 36 her mother-in-law. And a man's foes fhall be they 37 of his own houfhold. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me (y); and he that loveth fon or daughter more than me, is not 38 worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross (z), 39 and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He (t) The Jewish houfes were low, and the roofs being flat, and defended with battlements, people went upon them for air, retirement, and other purposes. Chap. xxiv. 17. Mark ii. 4. Luke xii. 3. Alls x. 9. (u) Shall not be deftroyed, or die. (w) The moft minute circumftance that can concern your wellbeing, is under the care and direction of providence. (x) This was owing, not to the intention of Chrift, but to the perverfenefs and perfecuting fpirit of men. (y) Neither the dread of enemies, nor the love of friends (which perhaps may be more difficult to refift,) ought to prevail with us againft what we know to be our duty. (z) To take up the cross alludes to the custom of obliging perfons going to execution to carry the crofs. The meaning here is, to be. ready to fuffer hardships and afflictions for the fake of religion. that |