every sa.

will be nothing but fruitless Remorse and endless Punishment.

49. For as every Burnt-offering un 49 For every one der the Law was first salted with Salt, shall be falted with and then consumed by Fire: So every

fire, and

crifice shall be falted one, who has been instructed in the

with salt. Doctrine of the Gospel, if when he is tried, he be found not fincere, shall be * destroyed by the eternal Fire of the Divine Wrath. 50. The Doctrine indeed, wherewith

50 Salt is good : I have instructed you, is sufficient to but if the falt have make you truly Wife and Good, and loft his faltness,

wherewith will you to preserve you from all the Corruptions of this present World, and to feason it? Have falt

you to teach others to preserve enable

in yourselves, and

have themselves likewise, unto eternal Life. another.

peace one with But now if you, whom I have thus instructed, shall, instead of teaching others, fall away your selves from the Profeffion or Practice of the Truth, either through Hope or Fear of any earthly Thing; ye will become the most unprofitable and inexcufable of Men. Take heed therefore, that ye continue stedfast your selves in the Religion I have taught you; and let no ambitious Designs and foolish Contentions ar mong your selves, or Fear of outward Sufferings and Persecutions, hinder the Propagation of the Truth among others.

* The Emphasis of this Comparison, as Mr. le Clerc well obferves, lies in the Ambiguity of the Word, 0170', which signifies both fall be falted and hall be destroyed. As every Sacrifice is falted (nov) with Salt; so every Apoftate shall be destroyed (1701 in the other Signification of the same Word) with Fire.

С НА Р.

CH A P. X.

Of Divorce, ver. 2. Jesus blesses young children, and re* bukes his Disciples that would have hindred them from being brought, ver. 13. Tells a rich young Man the Conditions of eternal Life under the Gospel, ver. 17. Shews his Difciples the great Danger and Temptations of Riches, ver. 23. and the Happiness of Suffering for "Religion, ver. 28. Foretells his own Death, ver. 32. Reproves his Difciples ambitious and worldly Thoughts, ver. 35. Cures a blind Man, ver. 46.

1 AND he arose 1. YESUS, having thus fortified the

from thence, and cometh into the the Storm that was coming upon them, coasts of Judea by and prepared them for the great Trial Jordan : and the which they were to undergo in seeing people resort unto him suffer; departed from Galilee, and him again ; and as

went into Judæa, through that part of he was wont, he the Country which was called, The taught them again. Country beyond Jordan. Where the

People gathered together again about
him; and he, as usual, both healed
the Diseases of their Bodies, and
instructed their minds with wise Do-

etrine.
ż And the Pha 2. And here the Pharisees also, ac-
tisees came to him, cording to their Custom, came about
and asked him, Is it him to try to insnare him with capti-
lawful for a man to

ous Questions, hoping to provoke him
put away his wife ?
tempting him. to say something that might afford

Matter of Accufation against him.
They asked him therefore, Is it law-
ful for a Man to put away his Wife ?
Thinking within themselves, that if he
should say abfolutely it was not lawful,
they might then accuse him of oppo-,
sing Moses; and if he should say abso-
lutely it was lawful, he might then
seem to contradict * his own Doctrine. • Matt. v.
մ 2

3. But 32

.

3. But Jefus, knowing their mali 3 And he answer cious Design, asked them what Mofes ed and said unto had determined concerning this Que- them, What did Mo

fes command you? ftion.

4. The Pharisees answered; Moses 4 And they said, gave a Man liberty in some Cafes, to Moses suffered to

write a bill of di. put away his Wife by giving her a Bill of Divorce, and to marry ano

vorcement, and to
put
her

away.
ther.
5. Jesus said : 'Tis true ; Moses did

5 And Jefus an

swered and said unindeed grant you this Permission

;

but 'twas merely in Condescension to your hardness of your

to them, For the Itubborn and untractable Temper : Not heart, he wrote you that the Thing was fit in it self; but this precept. only to prevent greater Evils.

6. For the original Design of God 6 But from the before Mankind fell into a degenerate beginning of the creand corrupt State, was quite other- ation, God made wise : In the Beginning, He created them male and fc

male. them Male and Female, (Gen. i. and joined them together, one Man with one Woman, by an infeparable Tie of Nature and Love.

7 & 8. So that the Scripture faith, ng For this cause (Gen. ii. 24.) A Man pall leave all hall a man leave his other the tenderest Obligations of na- father and mother, tural Affection, forsaking his nearest and cleave to his and most dear Relations, even his own Father and Mother, and shall cleave un

8 And they twain

shall be one filelh : to his Wife, and they two fhall be one so then they are no Flesh. Wherefore fince God has de

more twain, but one clared them to be but one Body, they flesh. ought to be always look'd upon as such; and ought no more to be separated, than the Parts of one and the same Body. 9. And though Moses, because of

9 What therefore the Hardness of your Hearts, did in- God hath joined todeed for a time allow Divorces ; yet gether, let no man this forced Permission ought not to put asunder. continue always; it being very unfit for Man to put those alunder, whom

27.)

wile ;

10 And

God originally designed to unite toge

ther by so Itrict and indissoluble a Tie. 10 And in the

10. With this Answer the Pharisees
house his disciples went away filenced; Jesus having so
asked him again of tempered his Reply, as to maintain
the same matter.

the Excellency of God's original In-
ftitution, without condemning the
Law of Mofes. But when the Dir-
ciples were alone with Yesus in the
Houfe, they asked him again concern-

ing this Matter.
11 And he saith 11. Jesus said : It is certainly true,
unto them, Whofo- as ye have heard me tell thc Pharisees :
ever shall put away Whosoever shall put away his Wife,
his wife, and marry (* excepting only if it be for the Matt. v.
another, committeth

Crime of Adultery,) and marry ano- 32. & x.
adultery against her.
ther ; Thall be accounted an Adulterer

9.
in the Sight of God.
12 And if a wo 12. And if a Won an forsakes her
man shall put away Husband, and marries her elf to ano-
her husband, and be ther Man, she shall be accounted guilty
married to another,

of Adultery.
The committeth adul-
tery.

13 S And they 13. S About this time, certain Per-
brought young chil. fons brought young Children to Jesus,
dren to him, that he desiring him to lay his Hands upon
fhould touch them ; them, and bless them. Which when
and his disciples re-

the Disciples observed, they were difbuked those that

pleased, thinking that this was too
brought them.

small a Matter to trouble Jesus with;
and they chid those who brought the

Children.
14 And when Je-

14. But Jesus, on the contrary, insus saw it, he was

, and rebuked his much displeased, and couraged them said unto them, Suf- Disciples for endeavouring to hinder fer the little children them: And he said, Let the Chil

come unto me, dren by all Means be brought to me,
and forbid them not: and forbid them not: For these, and
for of such is the Men of like Temper with these, in-
kingdom of God.

nocent, harmless, and without Ma-
lice, are the only fit Persons to be-
come Members of the Church of

to

U 3

God

in his arms, his hands upon

God on Earth, and Partakers of his eternal Happiness in Heaven.

15. Affuredly I tell you, whosoever 15 Verily I say shall pretend to embrace the Gospel, unto you, Whoso

ever shall not receive without being regenerate and born

the kingdom of God again ; forsaking all Ambition, Craft,

as a little child, he and Malice ; and becoming in his Tem- fhall not enter thereper like one of these little Children; in. Thall never be owned of God as a true and sincere Christian, either here or hereafter.

16. Then taking the little Children 16 And he took up in his Arms, he embraced them,

them up and laid his Hand upon them, and gave them, and blessed them his Bleffing.

them. 17. After this, Jefus departed,

17 S And when continuing his Journey towards Jeru- he was gone forth falemAnd as he was in the Way, into the way, there there met him a young Man of Qua came one running, lity, who kneeling down before him, and kneeled to him, faid : Good Master, I am convinced and asked him, Good by what I have heard of your Works do that I may inhe:

Master, what shall I and Doctrine, that you are an extra rit eternal life? ordinary Teacher fent from God; Tell me what I muft do, that I may be qualified to be made Partaker of eternal Life. 18. Jesus said to him: Why do

18 And Jesus said you call me Good, whom you do not

unto him, Why cal

left thou me good? know to be any other than a ineer there is none good. Man? There is none perfectly and but one that is God. essentially good, but God only, who is the fole Author of all Goodness and Happiness.

19. However, as to your Question ; 19 Thou knowest you know the Commandments, the the commandments, Performance of which, God has de- Do not commit aclared to be the Condition of Life dultery, Do not kill, and Happiness ; viz. Not to commit bear false witness, De

Do not steal, Do not Adultery, nor any Uncleanness ; not fraud not, Honourthy to murder, nor hurt any Man; not father and mother. to steal, deceive or cheat; not to