Page images
PDF
EPUB

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven

is like unto a mer

chant-man, feeking
goodly pearls:
had found one pearl
of great price, he
went and fold all
that he had and
bought it.

46 Who when he

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven

is like a net that was

caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind,

48 Which when it was full, they drew to fhore, and fat down, and gathered the good into veffels,

but caft the bad away.

49 So fhall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and

fever the wicked from among the juft. 50 And fhall caft them into the fur

nace of fire: there fhall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51 Jefus faith unto them, Have ye understood all these things they fay unto him, Yea, LORD. 52 Then faid he unto them, There

4546. Again, As a Man that trades in Pearls, when he meets with one of exceeding great value, readily fells all the reft that he has, to buy that: So the Virtue and Happinefs of the Gofpel is a Jewel of fuch Price, that whoever really fearches after his chief Good, ought to be willing to quit all earthly Enjoyments, rather than come fhort of this.

47 48. Again: As a Net caft into the Sea, catcheth all forts of Fish, good and bad together; but when it is drawn to the hoar, then the Fishermen Separate them, and preferve the good, and caft away the bad:

49 50. So by the Preaching of the Gofpel there is gathered together a vifible Church upon Earth, confifting both of good and bad Men, fincere Chriftians and Hypocrites together; But at the end of the World, God fhall by the Miniftry of his Angels feparate the Good from the Evil; and then the one fhall be rewarded with eternal Life, and the other punifhed with everlasting Deftruction.

51. When Jefus had finifhed thefe Parables, he asked his Difciples; Do ye understand all these things that I have taught you? They answered; Yes, Lord.

52 Then he faid; Ye muft take care therefore fo to lay up thefe my Doctrines in your Minds, that ye may be throughly qualified to be Preachers of the Gofpel, and be able upon all Occafions to bring forth out of your Memory, as out of a well-furnished Store-house, Inftructions fuited to Perfons of all Capacities.

[blocks in formation]

5354. After this, Jefus departed and returned into his own Country; and there he preached in their Synagogues with fo much Wifdom and Authority, that those who knew the meanefs of his Family and the poorness of his Parents, were aftonifhed and faid, How comes this Man by all this Knowledge and Power?

55 & 56. Is not his Father a Carpenter? And do we not know his Mother and all his Relations? plain and mean Perfons? People of no Learning, Power or Authority? How then comes this Man to pretend to fuch Wisdom, and to do fuch mighty Works?

57. Thus they defpifed and flighted him for the meannefs of his Parentage, and rejected his Doctrine out of prejudice to his Person. But Jefus upbraided them for thefe unreafonable Prejudices, faying: A Prophet is no where likely to be undervalued and difrefpected, so much as among his own Countrymen and by his neareft Relations. For thefe Men judging of things only by temporal Confiderations, and defpifing a Man's former meannefs, and envying his prefent Honour, are there fore apt to reject him and disbelive his Do&rine; But Strangers, acknowledging the Divine Power by which a Prophet acts, and admiring the excellency of the Doctrine which he preaches, will receive him, and honour

and believe him.

58. For this reafon Jefus worked but few Miracles in his own Country: Because there, Men by their unreafonable Prejudices and Unbelief, were become uncapable of being benefited by his Divine Doctrine, and unworthy of

[blocks in formation]

53 And it came to pafs, that when Jefus had finished thefe parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his country, he taught them in their fynagogue, infomuch nifhed, and faid, that they were asto

own

Whence hath this

man this wisdom, and thefe mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenters fon? is not his mother called Mary, and his brefes, and Simon, and thren James, and JoJudas?

56 And his fifters, are they not all with us? whence then

hath this man all thefe things?

57 And they were offended in him. But

Jefus faid unto them, A prophet is not without honour, fave in his own country, and in his own

[blocks in formation]

works there, because being convinced by any greater Miraof their unbelief.

cles.

CHA P. XIV.

Herod's Opinion of Chrift; and the Hiftory of John Baptift's Death, ver. 1. Five thoufand Men fed with five Loaves and two Fishes, ver. 13. Chrift and Peter's walk · ing upon the Sea, ver. 22. Many Sick healed at Genefaret, ver. 29.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

I.

BY

Y this time the Fame of Jefus's Doctrine and Miracles, had reached the Ears of Herod, who was Governour of Galilee, and Son of that Herod who had flain the Children in Bethlehem.

2. And when he heard of Jefus, and how People talked varioufly concerning him, fome judging that he was Elias, others that he was Jeremias, and others otherwife; Herod himself faid, furely this is John the Baptift, whom I beheaded; he is rifen again from the dead, and therefore thefe wonderful Works are wrought by him.

34. For this Herod had apprehended John the Baptift, and put him in Prifon, and beheaded him there; and the Occafion of his doing it, was this: Being defirous to marry Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife, John had freely told him that it was not lawful for him

to have her.

5. Hereupon he grew very angry with John, infomuch that he almoft refolved to have killed him. But the perfuafion which he had in his own ConG 4 science

fcience concerning John's Holinefs, and the fear which he had left the People (who all believed John to be a Prophet) fhould be enraged at his Death and fall into an Uproar, reftrained him from doing it.

6&7. Thus John, though he was caft in Prison, had yet his Life preferved. But on a certain time, when Hered was feafting upon his Birth-day with the Court, it happened that the Daughter of Herodias dancing before him pleafed him fo extremely, that he fwore rafhly he would give her whatever fhe defired, though it fhould cost him even half his Kingdom.

8. And hence arofe the occafion of John's death. For the young Woman not knowing what was fitteft for her to defire of the King, went to her Mother Herodias to ask her Advice; who finding that fhe had now a fair Opportunity of executing her Revenge upon John, for having oppofed her Marriage with Herod; bad her Daughter defire of the King, that John might be flain. Accordingly the young Woman comes in and defires, that he would make her a Prefent of John Baptift's Head.

9. At this Requeft the King was furprized and greatly troubled; For the Opinion which he himself had of John, and which he knew that the People alfo had concerning him, did yet reftrain his Paffion and Cruelty. However, because he had folemnly fworn to her, and that in the prefence of his whole Court, he refolved at laft to gratifie her.

10 & 11. Sending therefore to the Prifon, he caufed John to be beheaded; and the Head was brought, and prefented to the young Woman; and the carried it to her Mother.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

14 And Jefus went forth, and faw a great multitude, and was moved with compaffion toward them, and he healed their fick.

15 And when it was evening, his difciples came to him, faying, This is a defert place, and the time is now paft; fend the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

16 But Jefus faid unto them, They need not depart, give ye them to eat.

17 And they fay unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

12. In the mean time the Difciples of John, hearing of his death, went and fetched away his Body, and buried it; and when they had fo done, they came and gave Jefus an Account of the whole Story.

13. When Jefus heard this, he departed from the place where he was, and went by Water into a Defart privately with his Difciples. But it was not now poffible for him to hide himfelf from the diligent Enquiry of the People: For they fought him out, and, being neither difcouraged with the difficulty of the way, nor with the want of Provifions in the Defart, went round about after him on foot.

14 Jefus therefore feeing a great Multitude gathered together after him, and being pleafed with their Faith and Diligence, took pity on them, and healed as many as were weak and fickly among them.

15. But when the Evening drew near his Difciples (not yet fufficiently inftructed by all the Miracles they had feen, to have a right understanding of Jefus's Power and Wisdom,) began to put him in mind, that the place being Defart and the Night approaching, it was time to fend away the People, that they might go into the neighbouring Towns, and buy themselves Provifions.

16. But Jefus, knowing his own Divine Power, and refolving to work a Miracle for the benefit of those People, faid; Nay, it is not neceffary nor convenient to fend them away thus fafting: But do ye entertain them here in this place.

17. They said unto him, we have no Provifion for fo great a number of Peo

ple:

« PreviousContinue »