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find time to eat. But his meat was to do the will of God, by healing the sick, and relieving the distressed. Among the great number of afflicted brought before him at this time, was a dumb man possessed with a devil. So moving a sight could not fail of attracting particular and compassionate notice from the Saviour of the world. He immediately cast out the evil spirit, on which the dumb man recovered the use of his speech, and spoke in a very rational manner to the multitude, who in general, declared, that such wonderful works could be done by no other person than the promised Messiah.

The Pharisees, however, and Doctors of the law, who came from Jerusalem, gave another turn to this miracle. They ascribed it to be the power of the Devil, even to Beelzebub, the chief of devils. So blasphemous a declaration could not be supposed to escape a proper censure from the Son of God, who, addressing himself both to them and the people, demonstrated the absurdity of the calumny, by an argument drawn from the common affairs of life. Every kingdom (says he) divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his kingdom stand? Your calumny is malicious and absurd: it is malicious because your own consciences are convinced of its falsehood; and it is absurd, because Satan cannot assist me in preaching the kingdom of God, and destroying all the works of darkness, unless he be divided against himself, and destroy all the works of his own kingdom. Adding, And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Ye did not impute the miracles of your prophets to Beelzebub, but received them as from the messengers of God. But ye reject me, who work greater and more numerous miracles than they, and impute them to the power of evil spirits. These prophets, therefore, shall be your judges: they shall condemn you. But as it is true that I cast out devils by the assistance of the Almighty, it follows that the kingdom of God, so long expected, is

going to be established. The time is coming, when the Son of Man shall be raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Ghost, the gifts of miracles showered down on all believers, and the nature of the Messiah's kingdom more fully explained, in order to remove the foundation of your prejudice, namely, the expectation of a temporal prince. But if you then shut your eyes, and speak evil against the Holy Ghost, by affirming that his gifts and miracles proceed from the prince of darkness, it shall never be forgiven you: because it is a sin you cannot possibly repent of, as no greater means of conviction will be offered; but you shall be punished for it, both in this world, and that which is to come. "Wherefore I say "unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be "forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the "Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven. And whosoever 66 speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be "forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy "Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this "world, nor in that which is to come."

But notwithstanding these arguments and threats, the perverse Pharisees, instead of being affected by them, continued obstinate, and demanded of our Saviour some new sign or miracle in evidence of his mission. But as he had given them a sufficient number of these already, he told them they should have no other sign than what they every day beheld, namely, the sign of the prophet Jonas, who, by living three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, was a type of the Son of God, who should continue three days and three nights in the chambers of the tomb. He then told them, that the Ninevites repented at the preaching of the prophet Jonas, and the queen of Sheba undertook a long journey to Jerusalem to hear the wisdom of Solomon; but that they refused to attend to the doctrines of an infinitely greater prophet than. Jonas, or listen to one much wiser than Solomon.

While our Blessed Lord was continuing his discourse to the perverse Pharisees, word was brought him that his mother and kindred were at the door, desiring to speak with him. In all probability they were fearful the continued fatigue of preaching would injure his health, and

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were therefore desirous of taking him with them that he might refresh himself. But our Lord, being displeased with their unseasonable interruption, took occasion to inform the people, that all worldly relations were of less consideration than the ties of duty and religion; that the names of mother and brother, which were sanctified by the laws of God and nature, were made more sacred when a spiritual kindred intervened; and then, turning to his disciples, he declared, that those were his truest relations, who heard the word of God, and practised it. Behold (said he) my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

On the very same day our Blessed Lord left the house where he usually abode, and, for the greater convenience of teaching the people, repaired to the sea-shore. He was immediately followed by such prodigious multitudes that, in order to avoid interruption, he went on board a vessel, and from thence taught them in parables (an usual way of instruction among the Jews) thereby to engage the attention, and accommodate himself to the different capacities of those that heard him.

Our Blessed Lord began his discourse with the parable of the Sower, in which he represented the different successes of the Gospel, according to the different dispositions of its hearers. He then proceeded to the parable of the Tares growing with the good seed, in which he pointed out the mixture of the wicked and godly under the same profession of Christianity. By the grain of Mustard-seed and the little piece of leaven, he represented the wonderful increase and propagation of the Gospel from small beginnings. By the treasure in the field, and the pearl of great price, he showed the great benefits that would accrue to the profession of religion; but told them that the profession of it would include a mixed multitude, and be, therefore, like a net cast into the sea, which incloses fishes of all kinds, some good and some bad, the good to be preserved, but the bad cast away.

This is the explication which our Lord gave his disciples of these several parables; and when, by their answers, he perceived that they understood them all, he

concluded his discourse with a simile to this effect: "That "every Gospel-Teacher ought to resemble a well-fur"nished house-holder, who brings all things out of his "repository, both old and new, according to the occasions "of his guests."

After our Blessed Saviour had thus preached to the people by way of parable, he formed the resolution of crossing the Lake, or Sea of Galilee, and for that purpose gave orders to his disciples to prepare a vessel for him. A certain Scribe, on hearing these orders given, offered to attend him wherever he went; but when he understood that no temporal emolument was to be obtained by such attendance, he retracted from his engagement. One of his disciples also, at the same time, desired leave to bury his father before he went with him; upon which our Lord commanded him to follow him, and to leave such offices to the children of this world. Another of his disciples asked permission, before he went, to take leave of his family, and dispose of his effects; upon which our Lord told him, "that whoever laid his hand on the "plough, and looked back, was not fit for the kingdom " of God."

Every necessary preparation being made for the voyage, the disciples took on board their master, and departed for the other side of the lake; soon after which the Blessed Jesus, being fatigued with the labors of the day, sat himself down at the stern of the ship, and fell asleep. The weather, which, at their embarking, and for some time after, was calm and serene, suddenly changed. A terrible storm came on, and the rising waves dashed impetuously against the ship, threatening every moment to bury them all in the bowels of the deep. The darkness of the night increased the horrors of the tempest. At one time they were carried on the top of a mountainous wave, and seemed to touch the skies; then plunged, as it were, to the bottom of the deep, while the foaming billows roared horridly above them. In vain did the disciples exert their utmost strength; the storm continued to increase, and baffled all the efforts of human beings. The waves broke over the ship, the waters rushed in, and she began to sink. All hopes of escaping were

vanished; despair seized every individual, and they were on the brink of perishing, when they ran to Jesus, and cried out, Master, Master, we perish! Their vehement cries roused him from his sleep; upon which, raising his hand, which had been so often employed in acts of mercy and benevolence, he, with a stern and awful voice, rebuked the boisterous element. The raging sea instantly obeyed his command. The ærial torrent stopped short in its impetuous course, and became silent as the grave, while the mountainous waves sunk at once into their beds, and the surface of the deep became as smooth as polished marble.

The disciples had before seen their great master perform many miracles, and therefore had abundant reason to rely wholly on his power and goodness. They should have considered that he who could, by his word, restore the sick, and bring the inhabitants of the sea to their nets, could, with the same ease, have supported them on the surface of the deep, had the ship sunk beneath them, and carried them safe to the place whither they were going. But they seemed to have forgotten the power of their master; and when human assistance failed, to have abandoned all hopes of life. Well, therefore, might the Blessed Jesus, on this occasion, thus rebuke them: Why are ye fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? Why should you doubt of my power to protect you? The voyage was undertaken at my command; and therefore you should have been confident that I would not suffer you to perish.

It is, indeed, strange to think that the disciples should have been so remarkably terrified during the storm, and that they should afterwards make this singular reflection: What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! But it must be remembered, that the terror of the storm had deprived them of all presence of mind, so that that they did not recollect the Divine power of their Master during the fury of the tempest; and the transition from a terrible storm to the most perfect calm, was so quick and astonishing, that they uttered this reflection, while their minds were in the most inexpressible state of confusion.

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