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CHAP. X.

Our Lord leaves Galilee, and, crossing the river Jordan, enters Perea, where he cures great numbers of people afflicted with various disorders. He kindly receives the little children brought to him to partake of his Divine benediction. Shews to the people the great danger of riches, and the rewards of a faithful adherence to him and his religion; which he displays under the parable of laborers in a vineyard. Is applied to by Martha and Mary in behalf of their brother Lazarus, who is sick; upon which our Lord goes to Bethany. In his way he cures Bartimeus, a blind man, and dines with Zaccheus, a publican, at whose house he delivers the parable of the servants entrusted with their lord's money. He arrives at Bethany, and raises Lazarus from the dead, to the great astonishment of all the spectators. The news of this miracle reaching Jerusalem, the Sanhedrim form the resolution of having him put to death, upon which he retires, for a short time, to Ephraim, a small place belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. He leaves Ephraim, and proceeds towards Jerusalem, in his way to which he stops at Bethany, and sups with Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. During his stay, Mary testifies her obedience, humility and respect, by anointing his feet with odoriferous perfume, and afterwards wiping them with the hair of her head. Judas Iscariot repines at the loss of the valuable ointment, for which our Lord, after commending Mary's conduct, rebukes him for his avarice. Our Lord makes his public entry into Jerusalem, amidst the universal acclamations of the people, and on his near approach to the city publicly laments its impending fate.

AFTER our Lord had been, for some time, preaching the doctrine of salvation in different parts of Galilee, he removed to Perea, a most beautiful district, situated on the east side of the river Jordan. Here he was followed by prodigious multitudes of people, whom he both taught, and cured of the respective distempers with which they were afflicted. In consequence of this many persons, thinking, perhaps, that his power would be as great in preventing, as in removing, disorders, brought their children to him, requesting that he would put his hands

upon them, and bless them. Our Lord's disciples, thinking it below the dignity of their Master to be disturbed and interrupted by infants, at first refused admittance to those who brought them; which being observed by Jesus, he reproved them for so doing, and withal recommended the innocence and simplicity of those babes as a pattern for their imitation. Suffer (says he) little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. He then ordered the children to be brought before him, which being done, he laid his hands upon them, and blessed them; and having given some beneficial instructions to the multitude, he dismissed them, and departed.

A short time after this, a young person of great distinction and wealth, and who was likewise a ruler of the synagogue, meeting with our Lord, desired to know of him what he was to do in order to attain eternal life. Good Master (said he) what good things shall I do, that I may have eternal life? Though this young ruler appeared to pay great honor to our Lord, yet he was far from being sincere in his heart; for though he stiled him good, yet he did not believe that he was sent from God, as sufficiently appears from his refusing to observe the counsel given him. Our Lord well knew his secret intentions, and was perfectly acquainted with the inmost recesses of his heart; and accordingly rebuked him for his hypocritical address before he answered his question. Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God. But as he had desired the advice of our Lord, who never refused it to any of the sons of men, he readily answered his question, by telling him that he must pay a strict attention to all the moral precepts of the law, and in particular to the commandments of the second table, which would be a certain sign of his keeping those of the first. The young ruler replied, that all these he had made it his study to observe from his youth; upon which our Lord, who knew his covetous temper, and was willing to touch him to the quick, told him, that if he was desirous of aiming at perfection in religion, his only way would be to sell his estate, give it to the poor, and come and be one of his disciples. If thou wilt be perfect (said he) go and sell

that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. But the young ruler's heart was so fixed upon his riches, that he could not listen to this advice; he therefore went away very pensive and melancholy, being loth to part with his then possessions for any treasure in reversion.

This melancholy instance of the pernicious influence of riches over the minds of the children of men, induced our Lord to caution his disciples against things of such injurious tendency; which he did by shewing them how very difficult it was for a rich man to procure a habitatation in the regions of eternal happiness. Verily (said he) I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Matt. xix. 23, &c.

This answer of the Blessed Jesus was, however, far from satisfying his disciples, who had, doubtless, often reflected with pleasure on the high posts they were to enjoy in their Master's kingdom. Peter, who appears to have been particularly disappointed, addressed his master in the name of the rest, Legging him to remember that his apostles had actually done what the young ruler had refused. They had abandoned their relations, their friends, their possessions, and their employments, on his account; and therefore they desired to know what re

*The expression, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, was a common proverb among the Jews, to express the great difficulty of a thing. The meaning is not, that it is impossible, but that, comparatively speaking, it is very difficult for those who are continually surrounded with pleasure, and grandeur, and temptations of this world, to preserve that habitual virtuous disposition of mind, which is necessary to qualify men for the life to come. The deceitfulness of riches blinds the eyes of men; the pleasures of life steal from them their understandings; power is very apt to lead them into ambition and tyranny; plenty into intemperance; and continual prosperity into a careless spirit, and a neglect and forgetfulness of God.

ward they were to expect for these instances of their obedience.

In answer to this, our Blessed Lord told Peter that they should not fail of a reward even in this life, for immediately after his resurrection, when he ascended to his Father, and entered on his mediatorial office, they should be advanced to the honor of judging the twelve tribes of Israel; that is, of ruling the church of Christ, which they were to plant in different parts of the earth. Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Math. xix. 28.

Having given this answer to Peter, our Lord next mentioned the rewards his other disciples should receive both in this world and the next, which he expressed in words to this effect: Those who have given up all for my sake shall be no losers in the end: their benevolent Father will not fail to support them during their long and painful journey to the happy Canaan, and raise them up friends who shall assist them with those necessaries they might have expected from their relations, had they not left them for my sake. Divine Providence will take care that they have every thing valuable that could be given them by their relations, or they could desire from large possessions. They shall, indeed, be fed with the bread of sorrow; but this shall produce joys, to which all the earthly pleasures bear no proportion; and, in the end, obtain everlasting life. They shall leave this vale of sorrow behind them, and fly to the mansions of their heavenly Father, the fountain of life and joy, where they shall be infinitely rewarded for all the sufferings they have undergone in this world. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Matth. xix. 29, &c.

But, lest the disciples should not perfectly understand what he meant by the expression the first shall be last, and the last first, he delivered to them the following

parable of the householder, who, at different hours of the day, hired laborers to work in his vineyard. "The kingdom of heaven (says our Blessed Lord) is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

Such is the parable of the householder as delivered by our Saviour, and, from the applications contained in it, may be thus interpreted. The dispensation of religion, which God gave to mankind, in different parts of the world, are represented by the vineyard. The Jews, who were early members of the true church, and obliged to

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