12 the place. When ye enter the house, salute the family. If 13 the family be worthy, the peace ye wish them shall come

upon them: if they be not worthy, it shall rebound upon 14 yourselves. Wheresoever they will not receive you, nor regard your words, in departing that house, or city, shake the 15 dust off your feet. Verily I say unto you, the condition of Acts 15, 51 Sodom and Gomorrha shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment than the condition of that city.

16 Behold! I send you forth as sheep amidst wolves. Be, Lu. 10, 3. therefore, prudent as the serpents, and harmless as the doves.

17 But be upon your guard with men; for they will deliver you ch. 24, 9. 18 to councils, and scourge you in their synagogues; and ye

11.

shall be brought before governors and kings on my account, 19 to bear testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when Mar. 13, 11 they deliver you up, be not anxious how, or what ye shall Lu 12, il speak; for what ye should speak, shall be suggested to you 20 in that moment. For it shall not be ye that shall speak; 21 but the Spirit of my Father who will speak by you.

Then

the brother will consign the brother to death; and the father the child; and children will arise against their parents, and 22 procure their death. And for my name ye shall be hated universally. But the man who persevereth to the end, shall be saved.

23

Lu. 21, 16.

Therefore, when they persecute you in one city, flee to another, for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, ere the Son of Man be come. 24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his Lu. 6, 40. 25 master. It is enough for the disciple to be as his teacher, & 15, 20. and for the servant to be as his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call his domestics?

Jo. 13, 16

Lu. 8, 17.

26 Therefore fear them not; for there is nothing hidden that Mar. 4, 22. ! shall not be detected; nothing secret that shall not be known. & 12, 2. 27 What I tell you in the dark, publish in the light; and what 28 is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the house-tops. And

fear not them who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; fear rather him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?* Yet neither of them falleth to the ground without the will of your Father. 30 Nay, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not 31 then, ye are much more valuable than many sparrows. Who- Lu. 12, 832 soever, therefore, shall acknowledge me before men, him Mar. 8, 38. will I also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. 2 Tim. 2, 12. 33 But whosoever shall disown me before men, him will I also disown before my Father who is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to bring peace to the earth. I Lu. 12, 51 35 came, not to bring peace, but a sword. For I am come to

* Assarion, value three farthings sterling.

& 9, 26.

Mic. 7, 5.

make dissension betwixt father and son, betwixt mother and 36 daughter, betwixt mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so that a man's enemies will be found in his own family. He who Lu. 14, 26 37 loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. He who loveth son or daughter more than me, is not wor38 thy of me. He who will not take his cross and follow me, is 39 not worthy of me. He who preserveth his life, shall lose it; but he who loseth his life, on my account, shall

ch. 16, 24. Mar. 8, 34.

Jo. 12, 25. Lu. 9, 23. & 17, 33.

Lu. 10, 16. 40

Jo. 13, 20.

41

preserve it. He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him who sent me. He that receiveth a prophet, because he is a prophet, shall obtain a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man, because he is a Mar. 9, 41. 42 righteous man, shall obtain a righteous man's reward: and whosoever shall give any of these little ones, because he is my disciple, were it but a cup of cold water to drink; verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

XI. WHEN Jesus had made an end of instructing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and give warning in the cities.

Lu. 7, 18

Isa. 35, 5

Isa. 61, 1.

Lu. 7, 24

Mal. 3, 1.
Mar. 1, 2.

Lu. 16, 16.

Mal. 4, 5.

Lu. 7, 31

SECTION VI.-THE CHARACTER OF THE TIMES.

2 NOW John having heard in prison of the works of the Mes-
3 siah, sent two of his disciples, who asked him, Art thou he that
4 cometh, or must we expect another? Jesus answering, said
unto them, Go and relate to John what ye have heard and
5 seen.
The blind are made to see, the lame to walk, the deaf
to hear; lepers are cleansed; the dead are raised; and good
6 news is brought to the poor: and happy is he to whom I
shall not prove a stumbling-block.

7

When they were departed, Jesus said to the people concern8 ing John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye to see? A man effeminately dressed? It is kings' palaces [not deserts] 9 that such frequent. What then went ye to see? A prophet? 10 Yea, I tell you, and something superior to a prophet: For this is he concerning whom it is written, "Behold I send 11 mine angel before thee, who shall prepare thy way." Verily say unto you, among those that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. Yet the 12 least in the reign of heaven shall be greater than he. From the first appearing of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is invaded, and invaders take possession by 13 force. For till John appeared, all the Prophets and the Law 14 were your instructors; and if ye will bear to be told it, this 15 is the Elijah that was to come. Whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear.

16

I

But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like boys

in the market-place, to whom their play-fellows complain, 17 saying, 'We have played to you upon the pipe, but ye have not danced; we have sung mournful songs to you, but you 18 have not lamented.' For John came abstaining from meat 19 and drink, and they say, 'He hath a demon; the Son of Man came using meat and drink, and they say, 'He is a lover of banquets and wine, a companion of publicans and sinners.' But wisdom is justified by her children.

20 Then he began to reproach the cities wherein most of his Lu. 10, 13 21 miracles had been performed, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Chorazin, woe unto thee, Bethsaida; for if the miracles which have been performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they had repented long ago in 22 sackcloth and ashes. Know, therefore, that the condition of Tyre and Sidon, on the day of judgment, shall be more tole23 rable than yours. And thou Capernaum, which has been exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hades; for if the miracles which have been performed in thee had been per24 formed in Sodom, it had remained until now. Know, therefore, that the condition of Sodom, on the day of judgment, shall be more tolerable than thine.

25

ch. 6, 46.

On that occasion, Jesus said, I adore thee, O Father, Lord Lu. 10, 21 of heaven and earth; because thou hast hidden these things from sages and the learned, thou hast revealed them to babes: 26 Yes, Father, because such is thy pleasure. My Father hath Jo. 3, 35. 27 imparted every thing to me; and none knoweth the Son, & 10, 15. except the Father; neither knoweth any one the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. 28 Come unto me all ye who toil and are burdened; and I Jer. 6, 16. 29 will relieve you. Take my yoke upon you, and be taught

by me, for I am meek and condescending; and your souls 30 shall find relief. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is 1 Jo. 5, 3., light.

XII.

Lu. 6, 1

AT that time, as Jesus was walking through the corn on Mar. 2, 23. the Sabbath,* his disciples, being hungry, began to pluck the 2 ears of corn, and eat them. The Pharisees observing this, said to him, Lo! thy disciples are doing what it is not lawful to do 3 on the Sabbath. He answered, Have ye not read what Davd 1 Sam. 21, 1∙ 4 did, and his attendants, when they were hungry? how he entered the tabernacle of God, and ate the loaves of the presence, which it was not lawful for him or his attendants to 5 eat, but solely for the priests? Or have ye not learnt from Lev. 24, 5. the Law, that the priests in the temple violate the rest to be 6 observed on Sabbaths, and are nevertheless blameless? Now 7 I affirm that something greater than the temple is here. But had ye known what this meaneth, "I require humanity and Hos. 6, 6. With us Saturday, or rather from Friday at sun-set to Saturday at sun-set, for so

the Jews reckoned.

Num. 28, 9

ch. 9, 13. Mar. 3, 1 Lu. 6, 6.

Isa. 42, 1.

ch. 9, 34.

Mar. 3, 22

Lu. 11, 15

not sacrifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless: 8 For the Son of Man is master of the Sabbath. 9. Leaving that place, he went into their synagogue, and found a man there whose hand was blasted. They asked Jesus, with a design to accuse him, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? 11 He answered, What man is there amongst you, who having one sheep, if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay 12 hold on it, and lift it out? And doth not a man greatly excel

a sheep? It is lawful, therefore, to do good on the Sabbath. 13 Then he said to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And as he 14 stretched it out, it became sound like the other. But the Pharisees went out, and concerted against Jesus to destroy him. 15 Jesus knowing this departed, and being followed by a vast multitude, healed all their sick, enjoining them not to discover 16 him. Thus the word of the Prophet Isaiah was verified, 18 "Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul delighteth: I will cause my Spirit to abide upon him, 19 and he shall give laws to the nations; he will not contend, nor 20 clamour, nor make his voice be heard in the streets. A bruised

reed he will not break; and a dimly burning taper he will not 21 quench, till he render his laws victorious. Nations also shall trust in his name."

22 Then was brought to him a demoniac dumb and blind; and 23 he cured him, insomuch that he both spake and saw. And all the people said with amazement, Is this the son of David? 24 But the Pharisees hearing them said, This man expelleth 25 demons only by Beelzebub, prince of the demons. But Jesus knowing their surmises, said to them, By civil dissensions any kingdom may be desolated; and no city or family, where 26 such dissensions are, can subsist. Now if Satan expel Satan,

his kingdom is torn by civil dissensions; how can it then sub27 sist? Besides, if I expel demons by Beelzebub; by whom do

your sons expel them? Wherefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, the reign of Isa. 49, 24. 29 God hath overtaken you. For how can one enter the strong one's house, and plunder his goods, unless he first overpower the strong one? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 He who is not for me, is against me: and he who gathereth not with me, scattereth.

Mar. 3,8 31

Lu. 12, 10. 1 Jo. 5. 16.

Wherefore I say unto you, though every other sin and detraction in men is pardonable, their detraction from the 32 Spirit is unpardonable: for whosoever shall inveigh against

the Son of Man may obtain pardon; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit shall never be pardoned, either 33 in the present state or in the future. Either call the tree

good, and its fruit good; or call the tree bad, and its fruit 34 bad: for we distinguish the tree by the fruit. Offspring of vipers, how can ye that are evil speak good things, since it is

ch. 16, 1.

35 out of the fulness of the heart that the mouth speaketh? The Lu. 6, 45. good man out of his good treasure produceth good things; the bad man out of his bad treasure produceth bad things. 1 Cor. 1, 22. 36 Be assured, however, that of every pernicious word which men shall utter, they shall give an account on the day of judg37 ment. For by thy words thou shalt be acquitted; and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

ch. 16, 4,

38 Then some of the Scribes and Pharisees interposed, saying, Lu. 11, 29 39 Rabbi, we desire to see a sign from thee. He answering, said unto them, An evil and adulterous race demandeth a sign; but no sign shall be given them, save the sign of the 40 Prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three Jon. 1, 17. nights in the stomach of the great fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the bosom of the earth. Jon. 3, 5 41 The Ninevites will stand up in the judgment against this

2 Chr. 9, 1.

race, and cause it to be condemned, because they repented when they were warned by Jonah; and behold here some42 thing greater than Jonah. The queen of the south country* 1 Kin. 10, 1 will arise in the judgment against this race, and cause it to be condemned; because she came from the extremities of the earth to hear the wise discourses of Solomon; and behold here something greater than Solomon.

43 An unclean spirit, when he is gone out of a man, wan- Lu. 11, 24dereth over parched deserts in search of a resting-place : 44 And not finding any, he saith, I will return to my house

whence I came;' and being come, he findeth it empty, swept, 45 and furnished. Whereupon he goeth, and bringeth with

46

Heb. 6, 4

him seven other spirits more wicked than himself: and hav- 2 Pet. 2, 20. ing entered, they dwell there; and the last state of that man & 10, 26becometh worse than the first: thus will it also fare with this evil race.

Lu. 8, 19.

While he discoursed to the people, his mother and brothers Mar. 3, 3147 were without, desiring to speak with him. And one said to him, Thy mother and thy brothers are without, desiring to 48 speak with thee. He answering, said to him that told him, 49 Who is my mother? and who are my brothers? Then

stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said, Behold 50 my mother and my brothers. For whosoever doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, is my brother, and sister, and mother.

XIII.

SECTION VIL-PARABLES.

THE same day, Jesus having gone out of the house, sat Mar. 4, 1. 2 by the sea-side; but so great a multitude flocked about him, that he went into a bark, and sat down there, while all the 3 people stood on the shore. Then he discoursed to them of many things in parables.