18. Then they brought him to Jefus; and Jefus commanded the Devil to come out of him; and his Difeafe was perfectly healed.

19. And when the People were gone; the Disciples, grieved that they had not been able to work this Miracle, came to Jefus alone, and asked him what was the Reason, that they were not able to caft out this Devil, and to heal the young Man.

20. Jefus faith: 'Twas for want of Faith in you, as well as in those who defired your Help. For verily if you had never fo little Faith in comparifon, anfwerable in any measure to your Office and your Advantages, nothing fhould be too hard for you to effect for the Glory of God and in Confirmation of my Doctrine; but ye fhould be able to do even things feemingly as impoffible, as removing Mountains, and throwing them into the Sea.

21. Only ye muft remember, that God does not grant the Power of working thefe greater Miracles, fuch as are cafting out Devils, and the like; but to those whofe Faith is ftrengthened by earnest Prayer and Fafting, and ac

could not cure him,

17 Then Jefus anfwered and faid, O faithlefs and perverse thall I be with you? generation, how long how long fhall I fuffer you? bring him hither to me.

18 And Jefus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him and the child was cured from that very hour.

difciples to Jefus a19 Then came the part, and faid, Why could not we cait him out?

20 And Jefus faid unto them, Becaufe of your unbelief: for verily I fay unto you, If ye have faith ard-feed, ye fhall fay as a grain of mustunto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it fhall remove; and nothing fhall be impoffible unto you.

21 Howbeit this

kind goeth not out but by prayer and fafting.

23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again: and they were exceeding forry.

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute-mo

ney, came to Peter, and faid, Doth not your mafter pay tribute? 25 He faith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jefus prevented him, faying, What thinkeft thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take cuftom or tribute? of their own children, or of ftrangers?

26 Peter faith un

to him, of strangers. Jefus faith unto him, Then are the children free.

27

Notwith

companied with great Devotion and Purity of Mind.

22. After this, Jefus returned with his Difciples to Capernaum through Galilee; And as they were in the Way, Jefus, to prepare his Difciples that they might not be overwhelmed with Sorrow at his Death, began to re-mind them again, that he must needs be delivered into the Hands of his Perfecutors;

23. And that he must be flain by them, and that on the third Day he fhould rife again. But the Difciples understood not what he meant by Rifing again, and they were grieved to hear of his Sufferings and Death.

come

24. Now when they were home to Capernaum, where Jefus used to dwell; the Officers appointed to gather the yearly Offering for the Service of the Temple, came to Peter and asked him, if his Mafter would not pay the ufual Offering.

25 & 26. Peter faid; Yes, I fuppose fo. And when they were come into the House, and Peter was about to ask him concerning it, Jefus prevented him,, faying; Peter, what think you? If earthly Princes ufe to demand Tribute, not of their own Children and Families, but only of others; Do you not think there is the fame Reafon, that I, whom you acknowledge to be the Son of God, fhould be excufed from paying any thing to the Service of the Temple.

27. Nevertheless, that we may not give them any occafion of blaming Landing, left. we us, go to the Lake, and caft in a Hook, and take the firft Fish that comes up; and you fhall find a piece

of

of Money in his Mouth: that take, and give it to the Officers for my Of fering and yours.

fhould offend them, go thou to the fea, and take up the fish, that first cometh up: and when thou haft opened his mouth, thou fhalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

CHAP. XVIII.

Innocence and Humility requifite to the making good Chriftians, ver. 1. Of Scandal, and of Chriftian Reproof, ver. 6. and 15. Of forgiving the Penitent; and the neceffity of fhewing Mercy to others, that we our felves may obtain it of God, ver. 21.

I.

·AT this time the Disciples, filled with great Expectations of the Glory of Chrift's Kingdom, began to difpute among themselves about Preheminence, and who should be greateft in that Kingdom: till at laft Jefus took Notice of the Difpute, and the Matter † was brought to be decided before him.

23. Then Jefus, fetting a little Child before them, faid: Ye are in a great Miftake; the Kingdom of God, is not like the Kingdoms of this prefent World; Men fhall not there be exalted, as they are here, by ftriving for Dignity and Preheminence; but they fhall be efteemed only by their

Not that they directly asked Jefus about it, but only by his difcovering their Debate, Luke ix; 46, 47

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converted

Humility, Meeknefs, Innocence, and want of Regard for the Things of the World; fuch as are the Qualities of this little Child.

4. So that they who in their Life and Converfation fhall nearest approach to the unaffected Humility and harmlefs Innocence of this little Child; fuch Men fhall be lookt upon as the best Members of my Church on Earth, and fhall have the greateft degree of Glory

in Heaven.

5. Thefe, I fay, are the Men, which fhall be valued in the fight of God. And he who, without refpect to Temporal Confiderations, fhall entertain and encourage, and affift fuch Men, because they are humble and innocent, and Teachers of that Doctrine which makes Men fuch; fhall be rewarded, as if he had entertained me.

6. On the contrary, he that shall defpife or difcourage, perfecute or feduce any of these humble and innocent Perfons, which believe and obey the Gofpel; better were it for him that he had never been born, or that he had quickly perished by fome untimely Death.

7. For dreadful and terrible are the Judgments which God will fend upon the World, for its contemning and difcouraging, for its perfecuting and feducing innocent and good Men. Such indeed is the State of Things, and the Wickedness of Men, that thefe Things muft needs happen; and the Providence of God may for wife Reasons permit it to be fo: But wo be to that Man, by whofe Fault this fhall come to pass, that any humble and good Man fhall be perfecuted, difcouraged, or perverted and inticed into Sin. VOL. I.

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8&9.