20 And he an fwered and faid unto him, Mafter, all thefe have I obferved from my youth. 21 Then Jefus beholding him, loved him, and faid unto him, One thing thou lackeft: go thy way, haft, and give to the poor, and thou fhalt have treasure in neaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me. fell whatsoever thou 22 And he was fad at that faying, and went away grieved: for he had great poffeffions. 23 And Jefus looked round about, and faith unto his pervert Juftice, nor accufe any one 20. The young Man, pleased with 21. Then Jefus, looking intently upon the young Man, and feeming to be pleafed with his hopeful Difpofitions, yet defigning at the fame time to difcover the Infirmity of Humane Confidence, faid to him: If you defire to attain the higheft Degree of Perfection, * See Note then there is one Thing more for you on Mat. to do; you must fell all your Eftate, xix. 21. and give it to the Poor, and for the future contemn all worldly Poffeffions; and come and follow me, preaching the Gofpel, and refolving to bear all Afflictions and Perfecutions that this State of Life will expofe you to; and you fhall have a great and extraordinary Reward in Heaven. 22. But the young Man was greatly difappointed and troubled at this Anfwer, and went away very forrowful; for he had a great Eftate, and could not bear to think of parting with it all at once. great Danger and Temptation of Riches; And he faid, How exceeding difficult a Thing is it, for those who have great Riches, to become fincere Chriftians, and to attain that refigned Difpofition of Mind, which is neceffary to fit Men for the Service of God on Earth, and for the Enjoyment of his Happinefs in Heaven! 24. At which Saying, the Disciples were greatly furprized and ftartled; as if Jefus had faid, It was impoffible for any rich Man to be faved. But Jefus corrected their Miftake, faying; The Difficulty of rich Mens being faved, does not arife from their bare Poffeffion of Wealth, but from their placing their Confidence in it, from their fetting their Hearts and Affections upon it, fo as thereby to be hindred from the Performance of their Duty. 25. And this Confidence rich Men are fo very apt to place in their Riches, that nothing can well be imagined more difficult, than for a Man that has very great Poffeffions, to wean his Affections fo much from them, as to be willing to part with them for the Sake of Religion, when he cannot otherwife be a worthy and perfevering Christian 26. At this the Difciples feemed again exceedingly amazed, faying one to another; How then can any rich Man ever be faved? 27. But Jefus, looking upon them with Pity and Concern for their Infirmity and Sollicitude of Mind, replied: This indeed may feem an impoffible Thing, to the common Judgment and vulgar Affections of Men; but to the Grace of God, nothing is 28 Then Peter began to fay unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29 And Jefus anfwered and faid, Verily I fay unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or fifters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my fake and the Gospels, 30 But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and fifters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with perfecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. that 31 But many are first, fhall be laft: and the laft, firft. impoffible or difficult. God can and Iwill afford his fincere Servants fuch Affiftance, as fhall enable them not only to use Riches well, but also to part with them readily; and if any thing else be yet more dear to them, to relinquish even That alfo with all Chearfulness, when God fhall require it, for the Sake of Religion. 18. Then faid Peter to Jefus: Well, We have actually done all this; and though our Poffeffions were not great, yet, whatever they were, we have forfaken them all for your Sake and the Gofpels; What Reward then shall We have? موع 29 & 30. Jefus faid; There is no one who has forfaken any earthly Poffeffions or Friends, for my Sake and the Profeffion of true Religion; who fhall not even in the midst of the greatest Perfecutions, have fuch Comfort and Satisfaction in his own Mind, fuch Love and Affiftance from all good Men, and fuch Peace and Joy by the continual Influence of the Spirit of God, as will even in this prefent Life be a hundred times better to him, than all the Things that he is forced to part with; and moreover, in the World to come, he fhall inherit eternal Life. 31. Only many of thofe, who are here firft in Time, and feem now to have the Preference in many Respects, (as the Jews, that are firft called; and others who come earliest to the Knowledge of the Truth ;) fhall then be ranked in a lower Degree. And on the contrary, many of those who are here later in Time, and feem now to be inferior in many Respects, (as the the Gentiles, and fuch as come latest to the Knowledge of the Truth ;) fhall then, if they have been fincere and more diligent in their Time, equal or exceed the former in Dignity and Glory. 32. Thus Jefus inftructed his Difciples by the Way, as they were going towards Jerufalem. But the Difciples, feeing Jefus pofitively refolved to go thither, began to be exceeding apprehenfive of the Danger to which they were likely to be expofed; and they followed fefus with heavy Hearts, in great Fear and Amazement. Then Jefus calling the Twelve Apostles to him again, repeated to them, what he had often told them before, that he muft of Neceffity fuffer fuch and fuch Things. 33. And he faid: This is the Time, of which I have already frequently warned you. We are now going up to Jerufalem, and there I must be delivered into the Hands of the Chief Priefts and Elders that feek my Life, and they will condemn me as a Malefactor, and deliver me over to the Roman Soldiers to be executed. 34. And the Soldiers will abufe me with all Manner of Ignominy; infulting, beating, and fpitting upon me; and at last they will put me to Death; But on the third Day I will rife again. 35. What Jefus meant by this Account of the Sufferings that he was to undergo; the Apostles, after fo many repeated Admonitions, ftill underftood not. But upon his mentioning his Rifing again, they conceived fome obfcure Hopes, that after all 33 Saying, Behold, lem, and the Son of we go up to Jerufa man fhall be deliver ed unto the chief priests, and unto the fcribes: and they fhall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles; mock him, and fha!! 34 And they fhall fcourge him; and fhall fpit upon him, and fhall kill him: and the third day he fhall rife again. 35 And James Zebedee come unto and John the fons of him, faying, Master, we would that thou fhouldft do for us whatfoever we shall 36 And defire. 36 And he faid unto them, What would ye that I fhould do for you? 37 They faid unto him, Grant unto us with? 39 And they faid unto him, We can. And Jefus faid unto them, Ye fhall incup that I drink of; and with the baptifm that I am baptized withal fhall ye be baptized; deed drink of the 40 But to fit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give,but it fhall be given to them for whom it is prepared. this, he would yet manifeft himfelf e're long in great Power and Glory, and eftablish (as they ftill fondly imagined) a temporal Kingdom. And hereupon Two of them, viz. James and John, came with their Mother to Jefus to intercede with him, that he would grant them one Petition they had to ask. 36 37. Which when Jefus demanded what it was; they said, We defire that when thou appeareft in thy Kingdom, thou wouldeft grant us the first Place of Honour and Dignity, and that we may be next to thine own Perfon. 38. But Jefus replied: Ye are in a great Miftake, and have a very wrong Notion of the Nature of my Kingdom. Ye aim at temporal Greatness and Preheminence, and know not upon what Conditions Glory and Happinefs will be bestowed in the Kingdom of God. Are ye able to fuffer with me? And can ye follow my Example in bearing patiently all manner of Injuries, and even Death it felf, for the fake of the Truth? 39. They faid unto him, We are able to do this. Then Jefus replied: Ye fhall indeed follow me in Perfecutions and Sufferings, and may thereby, in Proportion to your Patience and Conftancy, obtain a Share of Glory and Happiness with me in the Kingdom of God. 40. But as to the chief Place of Dignity and Preference above others, this is not mine to difpofe of by any abfolute Favour; but it must be given to fuch Perfons, and upon fuch Conditions and Qualifications, as God |