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Cana, to be first carried to the ruler of the feast to prove the reality and goodness of it; and sent the leper he healed, to present his oblation to the priest in token of his cure; so to demonstrate and make more public the greatness and reality of his miracle also, he seems purposely to have bidden the paralytic take up his bed, and go home on the Sabbath-day, when so unusual a sight he knew would be taken notice of by the people, and could not fail of putting them upon the enquiry after the person and the occasion of this breach of the Sabbath, in the midst of Jeruslem, the capital of their nation, and center of the Jewish church.

S. What defence did our Lord make on this occasion, against the accusation of his enemies?

T. He pleaded the example of God his heavenly Father; and that he only followed this in doing works of mercy and' goodness, which were not omitted on the Sabbath-day any more than any other.

S. Were the rulers of the sanhe drim appeased by his defence?

T. No: they were much more provoked against him; because he not only defended the legality of the paralytic's bearing his burthen; but in his discourse before them on this occasion, assumed to himself the title of the son of god; and thus claimed a coequality of power with him.'

S. What was the result of our Saviour's defence before the sanhedrim?

T. Though they dismissed him for the present, not being able to question or withstand the force of his miracles, and the inference of his power from thence, over the

Sabbath, yet we find their Pharisaical malice catching at an occasion which offered the very next Sabbath, to impeach him and his disciples, before the people, of impiety by prophanation of that day.

S. What fresh cause did Jesus give the Jews, to impeach him ?

T. His disciples indeed gave the offence, by pulling of ears of corn, and eating them to satisfy their hunger as they passed through the fields, on the Sabbath-day; and the Pharisees complaining of this, as a prophanation of the Sabbath, and upbraiding his disciples therewith, Jesus vindicated the action by instanc❤ ing several cases where ritual injunctions had given, and should always give place to those of a moral and perpetual obligation, such as works of necessity; and she wed that it could be interpreted no criminal violation of the Sabbath, to do acts necessary to preserve life; for he being, as he told them before, the Son of God, and con sequently the Lord of the Sabbath, had power to dispense with the ceremonial laws concerning it, especially whenever they interfered with works of necessity and intrinsic worth.

S. How did the Pharisees receive. this declaration?

7. Their resentment rising in proportion to their prejudices, we may reasonably suppose they were beyond measure offended, and resolved his destruction. But Jesus who knew the secret purposes of their hearts, withdrew with his disciples into Galilee; whereby, though he frustrated the present evil inten tions of his enemies at Jeruslem, he nevertheless found his doctrines and his conduct narrowly watched and scrutinised by the Scribes and

Pharisees, wherever he went. For
while he preached in the synagogue,
and healed there a man on the Sab-
bath-day, who had a withered hand,
the Pharisees questioned him about
the lawfulness of healing on the Sab-
bath; and though they could not
gainsay the reality and goodness of
his miracles, neither object to the
force of his arguments, in defence of
the lawfulness of working them on
the Sabbath; yet blinded with ma-
Ilce, they conspire against him, with
the Herodians, or the officers of Ga-
lilee, then under Herod's jurisdic.
tion, how they might destroy him.
Upon this Jesus withdrew with his
disciples into another government by
the sea-side; putting that rule in
practice which he had given his dis-
ciples, When they persecute you in
one city, Bee ye to another. From
hence I would desire you to observe,
that when Jesus by his doctrine and
miracles, could neither work that
belief, nor reformation they were
intended to effect, but that men by
reason of the hardness of their hearts,
were more offended in him, he
usually departed, that he might give
place to their wrath, and secure
himself from the effects of their ma-
tice leaving us thereby this instruc-
tion, for our use and example, that if
we wait for troubles, when we can
honestly and prudentially avoid them,
we cannot expect that God will deli-
ver us for God hath no where pro-
mised to work miracles for our deli-
verance, nor engaged to save those,
who are not careful to save them
selves. He hath commanded us to
take up our cross, when he lays it in
our way; but he hath not commanded
that we should go out and seek it; or
that we should meet it, when we can

pass by another way, and with a good conscience escape it.

S. Has not God promised to suc cour those that are tempted, or are in danger?

T. Yes: but they are only such as are purely passive in the thing. God will certainly protect those, that obey his commands, and in cases of real and unavoidable difficulty, exert a vigorous faith, and well-grounded trust; but he never regards a blind zeal, and hot-heated presumption. They that are their own tempters, must not expect God's deliverance or assistance.

S. What did Jesus at the sea-side?" T. His fame spreading abroad wherever he came, it was impossible for him to be long concealed; therefore multitudes followed him, and brought from all parts of the nation, even from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, those who were possessed and diseased, and he cured them all; the demoniacs bearing testimony to his divinity, and publickly confessing him to be the Son of God.

5. Did Jesus continue long in this place?

T. Being pressed much with the multitudes that followed after him, and preparing now for the future establishment and propagation of the faith, he withdrew to a solitary mountain, where having continued all night in prayer, he selected twelve persons out of the number of those, that constantly attended on him, and professed to believe in his name, to be his apostles, and witnesses of his doctrine and miracles. These answered mysteriously to the number of the patriarchs in the ancient-church, or twelve tribes

of Israel, whom he told them should judge at the general resurrection sitting on twelve thrones; and were called apostles, from being appointed his messengers to preach his gospel to the gentiles.

S. What were their names;

T. Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the less, Simon, Jude, and Judas Iscariot.

S. What account have we of Peter! T. Peter was born at Bethsaida, a village in upper Galilee, situated on the banks of the sea of Tiberias, and was the son of a fisherman, of the tribe of Naphthali, and brother of Andrew. His name originally was Simon; but when called to the apostleship, our Saviour gave him the name of Cephas, a Syriac word, which signifies a stone or a rock; and in Latin, petra; from whence is formed the present name of Peter. He was a married man, and lived with his wife and mother-in-law at Capernaum. Andrew, his brother, brought him first to Jesus and after they had an interview with our Lord, they returned for some time to their occupation; till about the end of the same year Jesus passing on the shore of the lake Genne sareth, ordered them to follow him; and confirming the doctrine he preached by a miraculous draught of fishes, which they had taken by his command, and so strengthening their staggering faith, they quitted their nets and boats and followed our Saviour.

At this time, Jesus had his chief residence about Capernaum, whither Peter had removed; and here his wife's mother lying sick of a fever, was restored to health by our Saviour:

we read no more of him from this, till the calling of the apostles' at mount Tabour; from which time Peter continued with Jesus in all his ministry: and though upon several occasions he shewed abundance of resolution and forwardness, he some. times betrayed a great deal of hu man frailty and weakness in the cause of his suffering master. Thus we hear Jesus rebuking him for want of faith. At another time our Lord said unto him, Thou art an offence unto me get behind me Satan. And last of all we come to a passage in his life, whieh will teach us, by his example, how subject the best men are to failings, and how vain a thing it is for any to put confidence in his own strength. For he who had made so many asseverations of his constancy, and never to forsake him, nor deny him, whoever did; not only slipped away with the rest of the disciples, when he was apprehended by his enemies; but in the highpriest's hall, when taxed by several persons for being one of his disciples, with oaths and imprecations, denied that he so much as knew the man.And this though he had before confessed that Jesus had the words of eternal life, and was the Christ, the son of the living God; though he was first mentioned in the nomina tion of the apostles; and with James and John was permitted to behold our Lord's transfiguration. Howev. er he soon most bitterly be wailed and repented of his denial of Christ, and ever after exerted great zeal and industry in preaching his gospel, and suffering for his name.

Peter and John were the first of the apostles that hasted to the sepulchre after the woman's report of

Christ's resurrection. Peter stepped into the sepulchre; believed that Jesus was risen from the dead; and was that very afternoon comforted by Christ himself, who appeared to him, and, as some have thought, assured him that his repentance was accepted. From the resurrection to the ascension, Peter was frequently distinguished by Jesus from the rest of his apostles. And in particular he commanded him to feed his lambs and sheep, and gave him some gene. ral information of the manner of the death he should die.

After Jesus was ascended, Peter proposed the election of another apostle to supply the place of Judas the traitor. And when for the bet ter enabling them to propagate the gospel among the Gentiles, they were all inspired with the gifts of tongues, and other supernatural gifts, on the feast of Pentacost, as had been promised them, he stood up and defended them from the calumnies of the Jews, who would insinuate that the operation of the Holy Spirit was only the effect of drunkeness; and made it clear to them, that the doctrine, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension, of our Saviour, were but the fulfilling of those scriptures that had been so plainly prophesied of them.Upon which occasion he spake with so much divine power, that 3000 persons immediately embraced the Christian faith. A few days after miracles began to be wrought by the apostles; and Peter was the first who in the name of Jesus cured one that had been a cripple from his birth who lay begging alins at the gate of the temple. This, miracle brought a great concourse of people about him, and his discurse on that occasion

to the people, impeached the whole nation of the Jews of the murder of the Messiah; and declared that what was done, was not by any skill of his, but by the power, and in the name of that Christ, whom they had crucified; and exhorted them withal to expiate so horrid a crime by a timely repentance. This so enraged the priests and Sadducees, that they convened him and his companion John before the chief magistrate, as disturbers af the public peace. But Peter was far from being intimidated and boldly asserted that he acted by the authority and in the name of that Jesus whom they had crucified, who was risen from the dead, and was made the chief corner stone, though rejected by them. This intrepidity, and the reputation which they had. obtained among the people, by the late miracle; and the conversion of no less than five thousand souls, at the second sermon of Peter, the day. before this summons, overawed the magistrates, who let Peter and John depart, with only an injunction to speak or teach no more in the name of Jesus Christ; which Peter and John refused to obey, saying they were bound to obey God, rather than

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ple brought out their sick into the streets, and laid them where Peter was to pass, that at least his shadow in passing by might light on some of them, and cure their distempers.These things gave fresh uneasiness to the rulers, and in order to put a stop to them, they caused Peter &c. to be apprehended and committed to prison. But no human power could resist the council of God, who sent an angel from heaven, to open the prison doors, and set the apostles free. Word being brought to the sanhedrim that the prisoners were at liberty, and preaching in the temple, they were again sent for, and by the highpriest taxed of their disobedience, in acting contrary to the commands of the council? to which Peter gave answer to the same effect as before. But Gamaliel, a man of great learning and prudence among them, when the apostles were withdrawn, prevailed with the council, not to proceed too violently against them or put them to death; so that after they had been scourged, they were dismissed; with command not to preach any more in that name.

We read no more of Peter, till we find him deputed by the whole body of the apostles at Jerusalem to go to Samaria, after the martyrdom of Stephen. Here he conferred the gifts of the Holy Ghost upon new converts; whereby they were enabled to perform miraculous cures. This being observed by Simon the magician, he offered the apostle a considerable sum of money to confer on him the power of working miracles, with the gifts of the Holy Ghost: but Peter rejected with disdain the corruption of his heart, who thought the gifts and graces of God were to be pur

chased with money; and made this vain hypocrite confess his offence and sue for pardon. From hence he retur ned to Jerusalem: and afterwards visited every place, where churches had been planted by the disciples, till he arrived at Lydda. Here he cur ed the paralytic Eneas who had lain bed-rid for eight years; and being sent for from hence to Joppa, ho there performed a most surprising miracle, by raising to life again, Tabitha who had been newly dead.

The fame of these miracles spreading abroad, while Peter continued at Joppa, he was sent for by Cornelius, a devout and charitable man, but a heathen centurion at Cæsarea Phillippi, to instruct him, and his family, in the faith. But lest a message of this nature from a heathen might be rejected, as being inconsistent with the Jewish principles, in which Peter had been educated; the Almighty, who had before directed Cor. nelius, by sending an angel to him, to this mothod of proceeding, while the messengers were in the way to Joppa, signified his pleasure in this case to Peter and resolved all scruples that might oppose a compliance with such a request, by a vision of clean and unclean creatures, of which he com manded him indiscriminately to eat, as being all purified by the command of God. When he was come to Cæ sarea, and preached Jesus Christ to Cornelius, &c. the Holy Ghost dcscended upon all that beard him! and having baptised them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he returned to Jerusalem. The apostles and brethren at Jerusalem took of fence at this conduct of his for these through prejudice of education and the force of old customs,

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