Ps. 55, 22. 1 Pet. 5, 7. neglect the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.* Lu. 12,22 25 Therefore I charge you; be not anxious about your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor about your body, what ye shall wear. Is not life a greater gift than 26 food; and the body than raiment? Observe the fowls of heaven. They neither sow nor reap. They have no storehouse but your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not 27 much more valuable than they? Besides, which of you can 28 by his anxiety prolong his life one hour? And why are ye anxious about raiment? Mark the lilies of the field. How 29 do they grow? They toil not: they spin not. Yet I affirm that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not equally adorn30 ed with one of these. If then God so array the herbage, Lu. 6, 37' 14, 4. Lu. 6, 41. ch. 21, 22. Lu. 11, 9° Jo. 16, 24. which to-day is in the field, and to-morrow will be cast into the oven; will he not much more array you, 0 ye dis31 trustful! Therefore say not anxiously, as the heathens do, What shall we eat; or what shall we drink; or wherewith 32 shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that 33 ye need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness required by him; and all these things 34 shall be superadded to you. Be not then anxious about the morrow; the morrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for every day is its own trouble. VII. JUDGE not, that ye be not judged; for as ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with the measure wherewith ye give, ye 3 shall receive. And why observest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, but art insensible of the thorn in thine own 4 eye? Or how darest thou say to thy brother, Let me take the mote out of thine eye;' thou who hast a thorn in thine 5 own? Hypocrite, first take the thorn out of thine own eye; then thou wilt see to take the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not things holy to dogs, and cast not your pearls before swine; lest they trample them under foot, or turn upon you and tear you. 6 7 Ask, and ye shall obtain; seek, and ye shall find; knock, Mar. 11, 24. 8 and the door shall be opened to you. For whosoever asketh, obtaineth; whosoever seeketh, findeth; and to every one who 9 knocketh, the door is opened. Who amongst you men would 10 give his son a stone, when he asketh bread; or a serpent, 11 when he asketh a fish? If ye then, though evil, can give good things to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Lu. 6, 31. 12 Whatsoever ye would that others do to you, do ye also to Lu. 13, 24. 13 them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the strait gate; for wide is the gate of perdition, broad is the way leading thither; and many are they who enter by it. 14 But how strait is the gate of life; how narrow the way leading thither; and how few are they who find it! * Riches. 15 Beware of false teachers, who 16 sheep, while inwardly they are fruits ye shall discover them. come to you in the garb of ravenous wolves. By their Are grapes gathered from Lu. 6, 4317 thorns; or figs from thistles? Every good tree yieldeth good 18 fruit; and every evil tree evil fruit. A good tree cannot 19 yield evil fruit, nor an evil tree good fruit. Every tree which ch. 3, 10. 20 yieldeth not good fruit is felled, and turned into fuel. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall discover them. 21 Lu. 6, 46. Nor every one who saith unto me, Master, master, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of ch. 25, 11 22 my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that Acts 19, 13. day, 'Master, master, have we not taught in thy name; and Ro. 2, 13. in thy name expelled demons; and in thy name performed Ja. 1, 22. 23 many miracles?" To whom I will declare, 'I never knew Lu. 13, 27. you. Depart from me, ye who practise iniquity.' 24 25 Therefore, whosoever heareth these my precepts, and doth — 6, 47them, I will compare to a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock. For although the rain descended, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew and beat upon that 26 house, it fell not, because it was founded upon the rock. But whosoever heareth these my precepts, and doth them not, shall be compared to a fool, who built his house upon the 27 sand. For when the rain descended, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew and dashed against that house, it fell, and great was its ruin. Lu. 4, 32. 28 WHEN Jesus had ended this discourse, the people were Mar. 1.22. 29 astonished at his manner of teaching: for he taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. SECTION IV.-SEVERAL MIRACLES. VIII. JESUS being come down from the mountain, followed by 2 a great multitude, a leper came, who prostrating himself be3 fore him said, Sir, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. Jesus Mar. 1, 40stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be Lu. 5, 124 thou cleansed. Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 5 Then Jesus said to him, See thou tell nobody; but go, show Lev. 14, 2 thyself to the priest, and make the oblation prescribed by Moses, for notifying [the cure] to the people. Having entered Capernaum, a centurion* accosted him with Lu. 7, 16 this request, Sir, my man-servant lieth sick at home, exceed7 ingly afflicted with a palsy. Jesus answered, I will go and 8 cure him. The centurion replying, said, Sir, I have not de served that thou shouldst come under my roof; only say the 9 word, and my servant will be healed. For even I, who am under command myself, having soldiers under me, say to one, 'Go,' and he goeth; to another, Come,' and he cometh; * A Roman officer, who had the command of 100 soldiers. 10 and to my servant, Do this,' and he doth it. Jesus hearing this, was astonished, and said to those who followed, Verily I say unto you, not even in Israel have I found so great faith. Mal. 1, 11. 11 But I assure you that many will come from the east and from the west, and will be placed at table with Abraham, and 12 Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom shall be thrust out into darkness, where will 13 be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then Jesus said to the centurion, Go home; be it to thee according to thy faith. That instant his servant was cured. Mar. 1, 29 14 Then Jesus having entered Peter's house, saw his wife's 15 mother lying sick of a fever: and having touched her hand, the fever left her; whereupon she arose and entertained him. In the evening, they presented to him many demoniacs; and he expelled the spirits with a word, and cured all the sick; 17 thus verifying the saying of the Prophet Isaiah, "He hath himself carried off our infirmities, and borne our distresses." Mar. 1, 32 16 Lu. 4, 40 Lu. 9, 57' Lu. 9, 59. Lu. 8, 23. 18 Jesus seeing himself crowded on all sides, gave orders to 19 pass to the opposite shore. Meantime a scribe accosted him, saying, Rabbi, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 Jesus answered, The foxes have caverns, and the birds of the air have places of shelter, but the Son of Man hath not where to repose his head. 21 Another, one of his disciples, said to him, Master, permit 22 me to go first, and bury my father. Jesus answered, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead. 23 THEN entering the bark, his disciples followed him. Soon Mar. 4, 37 24 after there arose in the sea so great a tempest, that the bark was covered with the billows. But he being asleep, his disciples 25 came and waked him, saying, Save us, Master, we perish. 26 He answered, Why are ye timorous, O ye distrustful? Mar. 5, 1' Lu. 8, 26. Then he arose, and having commanded the winds and the sea, a great 27 calm ensued; insomuch, that every one exclaimed with admiration, What personage is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey! 28 When he was come to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two demoniacs, issuing out of the 29 monuments, so furious, that nobody durst pass that way. These instantly cried, saying, What hast thou to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the 30 time? Now there was feeding at some distance a great herd 31 of swine. And the fiends besought him saying, If thou expel 32 us, permit us to go into the herd of swine. He answered, Go. And when they were cast out, they went into the swine; on which the whole herd rushed down a precipice into the sea, and 33 perished in the waters. Then the herdsmen fled into the city, and reported every thing, and what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Presently the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and having seen him, entreated him to depart out of their territory. Lu. 5, 18 IX. Then having gone aboard the bark, he repassed, and went 2 to his own city; where they brought to him a paralytic, laid Mar 23 upon a bed. Jesus, perceiving their faith, said to the para3 lytic, Son, take courage, thy sins are forgiven thee. Where4 upon some of the scribes said within themselves, This man Lu. 7, 48. blasphemeth.' But Jesus knowing their sentiments, said, Why 5 do ye harbour evil thoughts? which is easier; to say, 'Thy sins are forgiven;' or to say [with effect], Arise and walk?' 6 But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power upon the earth to forgive sins, Arise, (said he then to the paralytic,) 7 take up thy bed and go home. Accordingly he arose, and 8 went home. And the people saw and wondered, glorifying God, who had given such power to men. 9 10 As Jesus departed thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, Mar. 2, 14. sitting at the toll-office; to whom he said, Follow me. And Lu. 5, 27he arose and followed him. Mar. 2, 15 Afterwards Jesus, being at table in a house, many publicans Lu. 5, 29° and sinners came, and placed themselves with him and his dis11 ciples. Some Pharisees observing this, said to his disciples, Why doth your teacher eat with publicans and sinners? 12 Jesus hearing them, answered, The whole need not a physician, 13 but the sick. Go, therefore, and learn what this meaneth, "I require-humanity, and not sacrifice:" for I came to call, Hos. 6, 6. not the righteous, but sinners [to repentance]. I Tim. 1, 15. Lu. 5, 33. 14 Then John's disciples, accosting him, said, We and the Mar. 2, 18Pharisees often fast: why do thy disciples never fast? Jesus 15 answered, Do the bridemen mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom 16 shall be taken from them, and then they will fast. Nobody mendeth an old garment with undressed cloth; else the patch 17 itself teareth the garment, and maketh a greater rent. Neither do people put new wine into old leathern bottles; otherwise the bottles burst; and thus, both the wine is spilt, and the bottles are rendered useless. But they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. 18 While he was speaking, a ruler came, and prostrating him- Mar. 5, 22self, said, My daughter is by this time dead; but come, and Lu. 8, 4119 lay thy hand upon her, and she will revive. And Jesus 20 arose, and, as he followed him, with his disciples, a woman, who had been twelve years afflicted with a bloody issue, coming Mar5,43 behind, touched the tuft of his mantle; for she said within 21 herself, 'If I but touch his mantle, I shall recover:' Jesus 22 turning about, saw her, and said, Daughter, take courage, thy faith hath cured thee. And the woman was well from that instant. 25. Lu. 8, 51. 23 Being come into the ruler's house, and seeing the players on Mar. 5, 38the flute, with the crowd making a bustle, he said to them, 24 Withdraw, for the damsel is not dead, but asleep. And 25 they derided him: But when the people were put out, he entered, and having taken her by the hand, the damsel arose. 26 Now the fame of this action spread through all that country. 27 When Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, 28 crying, Son of David, have pity upon us. Being come into the house, the blind men approached: and Jesus said to them, Do ye believe that I can do this? They answered, Yes, master. 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, Be it unto you according 30 to your faith. Immediately their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charging them, said, Take care that nobody 31 know it. But being departed, they spread his fame through Lu. 11, 14 32 ch. 12, 22. all that country. They were scarcely gone, when a dumb demoniac was pre33 sented to him. The demon being expelled, the dumb spake, and the people wondered, saying, Nothing like this was ever Mar. 3, 22. 34 seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He expelleth the demons by the prince of the demons. Mar. 6, 6. 35 SECT. V. THE CHARGE TO THE APOSTLES. THEN Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the glad tidings of the reign, and curing every disease and every malady among the Mar. 6, 34. 36 people. But when he saw the multitudes he had compassion upon them, because they were scattered and exposed, like a 37 flock without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The 38 harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are few: entreat, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send labourers to reap it. Lu. 10, 2. Mar. 3, 13 Lu. 9. 1. Acts 13, 46. Mar. 6, 8. 1 Tim. 5, 18. X. And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave them power to expel unclean spirits, and to cure diseases and mala2 dies of every kind. Now these are the names of the twelve apostles. The first Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his 3 brother, James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the publican, James 4 son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus surnamed Thaddeus, Simon the 5 Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, he who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus commissioned, instructing them, and saying, Go not away to the Gentiles, nor enter a Samaritan city; 6 but go directly to the lost sheep of the stock of Israel. And 7 as ye go, proclaim, saying, 'The reign of heaven approacheth.' 8 Heal the sick, cleanse lepers, expel demons; freely ye have 9 received, freely give. Put not gold, or silver, or brass in 10 your girdles; carry no scrip, no spare coats, shoes, or staves; for the workman is worthy of his maintenance. 11 And whatever city or village ye enter, inquire what person of worth dwelleth there; and abide with him until ye leave * Missionaries. |