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envoy, an honourable name and profitable employment amongst the Jews, under the high-priests, and given to those that were sent to carry their orders to the cities and provinces, when any affairs relating to religion were to be transacted. Of which number, Justin Martin observes, some were sent to disperse circular letters filled with calumnies against the Christians. Therefore our Sa

viour styled those his apostles, who
he chose from among his other disci-
ples, to preach his name and gospel
throughout all the world, and to bap-
tise mankind in the name of the Fa-
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. By which commission and
office they became the messengers
of salvation to all men; and were
impowered to work miracles, cure -
diseases, and to cast out devils.

CHA P. IV.

Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Christ cureth the Centurian's Servant. Raiseth the Willow's Son from the Dead. His answer to John the Baptist's Messengers. He pardons the Harlot's Sins. Casts out Devils. - The Sin against the Holy Ghost. Jesus teacheth in Parables. Permitteth the Devils to pass into the Swine. Cureth the Woman of an Issue of Blood. Raiseth Jairus' Daughter to life. Sends his Apostles to preach in Judea. The Murder of John the Baptist. Jesus fiedeth five thousand Men. Waiketh on the Sea. Goeth up so the third Passover, Condemns the Jewish Traditions. Declares himself to be the Messiah; and rebukes Peter. His Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.

S. WHEN Jesus had chosen the comprises all the great principles of

apostles, did he send them immediately upon their mission?

T No: they were to be first well instructed in the great doctrines of Christian morality; they were therefore separated from the rest of his disciples, and were, in a manner, the domestics of our Lord, and witnesses not only of his actions, and public preachings, but of his private life and secrets, after he had discoursed to others in parables. As soon as he had made this choice, he led them up the mount Tabor, being followed by a great crowd of people, and then made that excellent discourse, called Christ's sermon on the mount, which

the Christian law, and all the necessary rules of behaviour as well for the ministers, as the people. In the beginning of this famous discourse, he overthrowed all the judgments of men, and all the sense of natural reason in calling those happy, whom the world esteems miserable, by assuring a blessing for humility, kindness, and mercifulness; for pious mourners and peace-makers; for meekness, patience, and purity of heart; for those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, and patiently suffer persecun for the cause of virtue. He afterwards shewed how defective the ordinances

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of the Jewish law are in comparison of the precepts of his gospel; plainly telling them, he required of his disciples such a righteousness as far exceeded that of the Scribes and Pharisees, without which, he declared, they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven: and applies himself particularly to his apostles by laying before them their duty, and shewing how much it would redound to their honour, if they should behave well in that high station, to which they were exalted by his favour, and how dishonourable it would certainly be, if they did otherwise. He recommends to them, in a more particular manner, purity of life and conversation; expounds the true meaning, and shews the just extent, of the laws against murder, adultery, and perjury; discourses concerning retaliation, and the love of our neighbour, contrary to the misrepresentations which had been taught by the Scribes and Pharisees. Then he explains the true motives and principles on which Christians ought to relieve the poor, to pray, and to fast, so as to be free from all superstition and hypocrisy; making the inward principles of our minds, the rule for regulating our outward actions. He dissuades from covetous and anxious desires; and sets forth the particular providence of God over each individual. Which, and several other precepts and instructions, Jesus delivercu with such authority, grace, and majesty, that he gained the sanction of all that heard him, who were convinced that he spake as a prophet sent from God to deliver his message to them, and not as the Scribes, who pretended only to deliver the traditions of their fathers.

S. What happened after this?

T. Our Saviour being descended from the mount, wrought two miracles related in the gospel, which served as a further confirmation of his divine authority and mission. The first was curing the leprous person, who addred him with that inward humility of soul, as shewed his submission to the will of God, accompa nied with a full assurance and faith in his power, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. The other was at Capernaum, where by his word only, and without so much as seeing him, he cured the favourite servant of a Roman centurion, who, with many of the Jews, had applied himself to Jesus in his behalf.

S. What do you mean by a Centurion?

T. A Centurion was an officer over an hundred foot-men; so called from the Latin word centum, a hundred. He might be of the rank of an English captain; and belonged to the iron legion of Rome, which was usually quartered in Judæa.

S. What was the servant's distemper?

T. The palsy; of which he lay at the point of death. Jesus having commended the centurion's faith, which indeed had been very fully expressed; bid him go away, with an assurance, that it should be unto him, as he had believed; and accordingly his servant was healed in the self-same hour.

S. Where did Jesus go after this? T. To Naim, a pleasant town in Galilee, about five miles from mount Tabor, where, as he was entering the gate, he met the only son of 2 widow, carried to be interred, whom immediately, by his word

only, he restored to life; to the great comfort of his disconsolate mother, and the great amazement of all that beheld the miracle; so that they publickly acknowledged him to be the Messiah. This and such-like amazing instances of his power spread his fame every day more and more; and - were the cause of a deputation being sent from John the Baptist, who was still in prison, to inquire of him, whether he was the Messiah so long expected.

S. What answer did Jesus return to John's question?

T. He bid the two disciples, whom John had sent, return and relate to their master the miracles that were wrought in their sight, on the deaf, the blind, the lame, the dead, &c. and that the poor had the gospel preached to them.

S. Did this answer satisfy the Baptist?

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7. Indeed, it is not to be supposed that he made this inquiry for his own satisfaction he had before, very strongly, expressed his conviction. But his disciples, probably, might still labour under some doubts and prejudices; nor could there be a better way of removing these, than what John now took; because the perform ance of these miracles exactly answered the character which the prophet Isaiah had given of the Messiah: and therefore instead of giving them a direct answer, which might have been liable to the objection of his bearing record of himself, our Saviour refers them to the miracles they saw him do, which were of the same kind as had been predicted of the Messiah; and then leaves it to them to draw the obvious conclusion from this joint testimony of miracles and

prophecy, which thus, in the highestmanner, strengthen and confirm each other.

S. Did Jesus on this occasion take no nosice of his fore-runner, John the Baptist?

T. Yes: as soon as his disciples were gone, Jesus enlarged much on John's austerity and godly life; the firmness and constancy of mind wherewith he was endued; on the greatness. of his function, and on the divinity of his commission; and concluded this discourse to the bye-standers, with blaming the perverseness of the age, which notwithstanding the joy they professed at the doctrines and miracles, had not given any tokens of their amendment and conversion; and particularly the obstinacy and impeni-' tence of Chorazim, Bethsaida, and Capernaum; and subjoins an exhortation to the humble and modest, and contrite in heart, to believe in him, and to become his disciples: by which alone it was possible for them to be disburthened of their heavy load of sins, to be eased under the calamities of life, and to be relieved from the unavailing multiplicity and burthen of those ceremonies and Pharisaical traditions, which were become too grievous to be borne.

S. How did this discourse affect his hearers!

T. Its good effects were presently discovered in the conversion of Simon the Pharisee, who invited our Lord to dinner; and of Mary Magdalen, a noted lewd woman, who following Jesus into Simon's house with an holy boldness, threw herself at Jesus' feet, embraced them, washed them with her repenting tears, wiped them with her dishevelled hair, kissed them, and anointed them with precious ointment.

3. How did this intrusion and be haviour of an harlot appear to the Jews then present?

T. The Pharisees, who knew this woman, (her irregularity of life hav ing made her infamous throughout the town) seemed to doubt of our Saviour's prophetic knowledge; seeing he knew not who she was that had dared to touch him. But our Savi>our, confounding their vain imagination and thoughts, set them immediately right, in regard both to himself and to her, shewing them how much he preferred the fervent love, and the sincerity of this penitent woman, to the lukewarmness of those who had not committed such great crimes, by proposing a parable of a creditor and two debtors; and shewing that the degrees of love and forgiveness must rise, and be proportionate to each other. And then turning to the woman, he shewed his acceptance of her repentance, by giving her a full pardon of all her sins.

S. Was all this done at Naim? T. Yes: but having left this town, and made a progress for some months round other parts of Galilee, preaching from town to town, attended by his apostles and several devout women, whom he had cured of divers diseases, and who out of gratitude chicerfully followed him and ministered unto his necessities out of their own substance; he returned again to Capernaum.

S. How was he received in his own city, as it is commonly called?

T. They thronged so upon him, that neither he nor his disciples could find time to eat. But as our Saviour's meat was to do the will of God, he preferred the public good, the preaching of the gospel, the healing of the

sick, the relieving the oppressed, the casting out devils, the giving speech to the dumb, and sight to the blind, to the care of his own person.

S. How did the Pharisees and Scribes look upon these miracles? T. As they could not deny the facts, they strove to persuade the people, that they were all done by the power of the devil, or of Belzebub, to whom they gave the title of the chief of the devils.

S. How did Jesus purge himself of this calumny?

T. By shewing the absurdity and ill policy of such a conduct and way of reasoning; since the readiest way to destroy a kingdom or family, was, he made it appear, to divide it against itself. He then produced as prece dents their own exorcists, who were allowed to have cast out devils by the invocation of the name of God. And lastly, he upbraided them herein with wilfully sinning against the Holy Ghost, by obstinately resisting the divine evidence and goodness of these miracles, in which they blasphemously supposed the power of the devil to be employed; a crime, which he assured them would neither be remit. ted in this world, nor in the world to

come.

S. Were the Pharisees silenced with these arguments and threats?

T. No: for though they did not make him any reply, they demanded of him a sign from heaven, in evidence of his mission.

S. Did our Saviour comply with their request!

T. No: they had seen a sufficient number already. He therefore referred them to his future resurrection from the dead; of which Jonah's deliverance after three days

and nights from the belly of the whale, he told them was a type. And having again upbraided them with 'unbelief and impenitence, he assured them, that the heathen city of Nineveh, and the queen of Sheba, would rise up in the judgment at the last day against them, since these were converted; the one at the preaching of Jonas, the other by the wisdom of Solomon, while they rejected one greater than either of these; though they had the benefit of seeing such mighty works rought inconfirmation of his divine authority and mission, and such tenders of mercy and acceptance offered them upon their conversion and repentance. While Jesus was finishing his discourse, he was told that his mother and brethren, (Joseph's children by a former wife) were at the door, and desired to speak with him.

S. What was their business with him?

T. They wanted him, most probably, to go and take some refreshment. But far from being satisfied with so unseasonable an interruption, he answered, his kindred and nearest relations were those who hear the word of God and practise it.

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S. What were the parables made use of by Jesus at this time?

7. The parable of the sower; of the tares and good seed; of the grain of mustard seed; of the leaven; of the treasure in the field; of the pearl of great price; and of the net cast into the sea. By which Jesus represented to them the various and different successes of the gospel, according to the different dipositions of the hearers; the mixture of the good and bad, under the profession of his faith; the wonderful increase and propagation of the gospel from smali beginnings; the inestimable benefits that would accrue to the true professors of his religion; and that though the profession of it would include both good and bad persons, only the good would meet with God's promised reward and blessing, and that the bad would perish, and be cast into outer darkness.

S. Did Jesus continue at Capernaum?

7. No for night coming on, he resolved to cross to the other side of the lake, or sea of Galilee, with his disciples. Upon this occasion, a vain young scribe offered to attend him ; but Jesus knowing his heart was

S. When did he appear again in grasping after worldly preferment public?

T. That very day; but to avoid the inconveniency of the throng, he went on board a small vessel, from whence he discoursed to the people on the shore in parables.

only, rejected his offer with a gentle rebuke, by shewing him he could not hope to better his temporal fortune in his retinue, who had not so much as a place where to lay his own head. On the contrary, one of his disciples,

S. Was this an usual method of by some supposed to be Philip, de. instruction amongst the Jews? sired leave to stay behind and bury his father.

:

T. Yes parables were made use of by their greatest doctors to gain more attention, and to level their doctrine to all capacities, and give the greater poignancy and weight to it.

S. Did Jesus permit him to stay?

7. No: he said unto him, Let the dead bury the dead, but follow

thou me.

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