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SCOSTAJBACA PROlfrTHEsUSffB XONOOXl £QI199](7* • .• • n ; ! - «. .> V • « * » • I » . Jf, MONTREAI.) 4 tRIIITEOcBT JAMSS ItAVE, 39, SAINT FAUL 8TR)&r7* ^ai»- "t^ ¥ i» li^^ in f t3» . %^;=;* ^- v>. :» -i . 4 ,.U .»;. '•-i. "M» »"4 \f. f%*J'-tf Ts * # V *. * 'fr 'A 5r .f * »t. i& ^,' % /)6 t J ''.-i i / <; / x'* 5 ^■**.-- t ; s-Ai^ -> ^.1 ■ 5"' - ■ 1 ■ * »«,«»# » •» • . •« t * 3 » ' , t • • t J I • • « I ♦ J ' P P " » ' » * < • * • • • O 4 » , «) ;ti# ».:■.»■:: ■t '♦ • « c « , * > » 1 ? e»^'*p: I » ^ ■^ * » n • e t « f p K 1 i--.* 1 •>#i#> «- * • a'4 i. ■ JW rt" • ^ ,•* f > «<■ • *- * r f r . f3. * ^S^ E :i .'n AN ABSTRACT OF THte HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAlnmHiTm t .' » r- ■- , I :^f :■■•. CHAP. I. From OEJS'ESIS. § 1. Of the Creation, Gen. i. ii. ..-•f^-vfAi,:^ GOD created heaven and earth, all the things we see, and all those which we do not see ; in a word, the whole universe. He created it of nothing, hy his only word, and by his will, ond for his own glory: he made it not all at once, but in six days, and in such order as he pleased. The first day he made the light; the second day he made the heavens ; the third day he formed the earth iind the seas, and made the herbs, trees, and plants of all sorts to rise out of the earth; the fourth day he made the sun, moon, and stars; the fifth day he made the fishes and the hir43; the sixth- day he produced from the earth all other kidd^^of Hying creatures, and then he made man, to have the command of all other animals. On the seventh day God rested, that is to say, he ceased to produce any new creatures. When God made - . ■ - A-a •• . • ^ ' -^ OUi ■The Crttttiort. \ man, he formed the body out of the earth, and tlH^ breathed into it the breath of Ufe, (Gen. ii.) that \% to say, he created for it a spiritual and immortal soul, made after his own image and likeness; inas- much as the soul of man is a spirit like him, capa- ble of knowing and loving him, and made for him. The first man was named Adam ; and God gave him for his companion a woman, named Eve; whom h« formed out of one of his ribs, that he might love her as a part of himself: and then it was that God insti- tuted matrimony. He also placed Adam and Ev« in the earthly Paradise, or the delicious garden ve and desire of gratifying ourselves, that, turns us off from the love of God, and is the source of all our sins. However, that man might not be left without hope or comfort in his misery, God was pleased even then to reveal and promise to him a 8^aviour and Redeemer, to come of the seed of the woman, who should bruise the serpent's head; that is, should destroy the power of the devil, and open tasuch as believed in him, the gates of a better? Iind everlasting Paradise. § 3» Of the Descendants qf^dam, and the generai Corruption ^Mankind. Gen* iv. v. vi. As Adapi and %ve had no children till after their I4II, and that were born of them were bom in cor- ruption and sin, and subjet to the same miseries as the)r were, and so were all their posterity. The first children of Adam and Eve were Cs^n and Abel. These being grown up, offered sacrifices to God; ^ho was pleased to shew his acceptance of the sar erifiee of Abel, and to have no regard to the offer- ings of Cain. Upon this, Cain through envy mur-; ftered his brother; and his despendanSii w^^e a vei^ wicked race. About t^e time of the death of Abel,^ God gave to Adami another son, who^ ]be called Seth, who was the father of a more godly race. His son Enos, began with v)Iemn worship to call m)on the name of the Lord, Gv n. iv. 26, ^iios, was the father of Cainan; Cainan was the father of Malaleel, vyho was the father of Jared; Jareii was the father of Henoch, who loalked vdth God^ and vsa* seen no more amongst men, because God took him away: Henock was the father of Mathusala, who lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years, which, was the longest life of any recorded in the scrip- tures: Mathusala was the father of Lamech, and. ]|^a^\ech was the father of Noe, or Noa^h. Th^SQ A3 ■ ■ ' H The Sons qf^oah. mete the patriarchs who lived hefoi^ the deluge.—* The descendants of Seth and Enos, for their piety, were called the sons of God; till, falling in lote with woman of the wicked race of Cain, and mar- rying with them, they also were corrupted, and the wh<»re earth was filled with iniquity, and God deter- mined to destroy them all. § 4. OfJS'oah and the Deluge. Gen. vi. vii. Noah was a just and perfect nian in his genera^ tion; he walkea toith God, and was pleasing to him. God revealed to him his design of destroying all " mankind hy an universal flood; and commanded him to make an ark or vessel in the form of a trunk, ' immensely lar^e, divided into three stories, and ca- pable of contaming a couple of every kind of birds and beasts, and provisions to feed them all for a year. Then, by the divine commandment, Noali went into the ark, with his wife, and his three sons and their wives, taking with hiiji two of every «ort of animals 'that live upon the earth. And presently ' the Lord made a dieadful rain to fall for forty days and forty nights, accompanied by a great inunda- tion of the sea ; so that the whole earth was under . water, even the highest mountains, and all men aiid animals were destroyed: none were saved but those that were in the ark. §5. Of the Sons of JVoah. Noah had three sons, Sem, Cham, and Japheth: by these and their offspring the world was repeo- pled. But as men began to multiply, they began also to grow wicked : their pride put them upon building a city and a tower, the top of which might reach up to the skies; as if it were to secure them from a second deluge. But the Almighty put a stcfp to their building, by confounding their tongues, so that they could not understand one another; whence the name of the place was called Babels that is. •^Irahrnn and MekkUedecJi. - If tonfusion; and from thence they weM dwperMtf throughout the world'. It was now that kingdoms- began to be formed, and that the tyrant Nunrod, of the race of Chad, laid the foundation of tho Babylonian empire. But men growing daily more and more corrupt, at length not only the true know- ledge and worship of God, but even the observance of the law of nature was almost banished from among them; and instead of God, the sun, the moon, and the stars, the elements, the wicked spi- rits who deluded them/ nay even brute beasts and senseless idols, in which they imagined a divinity to reside, became the object of their adoration; the true religion only remaining with some few holy persons, chieAy of the race of Sem, and of the branch of Heber. § 6. Of the Patriarch Mraham, and of MelchUe* hech. When idolary had began to corrupt the family of Heber, God was pleased to order Abraham, a man of that family, the tenth in a lineal descent from Noah, to depart from his country and kind-' red in Mesopotamia, and to come into the laiTd of Chanaan, which he promised to give to his seed, and that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed; as the Saviour of the world should be bom of his posterity. Abraham, walking always in the pr^ser-^.e of God, and ever attentive to please him and worship him in eveirplace, readily obeyed the call. God, pleased with nis faith and obedience, 1)rotected him on all qocasions, showered down his »l6ssings upon him^ and entered into a soleinn co- venant with him, that from him should come a nu- merous people, who should possess the promised land; and that frOm his seed, blessing and grace should be diffused over the whole ear£: and for p, jsmk of bis covenant, he enjoined him and his pci- titrity ihit ceremony of circumcision^ He iklsoi by g miracle, gave him a son, when he was an hunn dred years old, of Sara)i his wife, (who had been always barren, and was then past the age of child- 1>eanng,) whom he named liotte ; and on whom he declared all the promises should be entailed, which be had made to nis father. When Isaac was gjrown up, and God was pleased, for a farther tnal of Abraham's faith and obedience, to command him to offer up this dear son in sacrifice, he made neither Teply nor demur ; but taking him to the appointe4 place, after harinff bound liim and laid nim on the altar, he stretched out his hand rei^dy to slay liim with his sword, when behold an angel fron^ God stopped him, applauding his obedience, and. repeating and renewmg all the promises made to bim. In Abraham'i^ time hved Melchisedech,' king of Salem, priest of the most high God ; of whose parent and family we have no account: we only Know, that this extraordinary man met Abraham^ when he retume4 victorious over the fpur kinesj^ (who had carried away ms kinsman Lot and all hia aubstance,) and that ne gave him his blessing ii^ th^ name of the most h^h God, and offered for Idjfa bread and wine; and that Abraham gave bun the tythes of the spoils. Melchisedech waa 4 figure of the Saviour pf the world, who was U^ be greater thim Abraham, though descended firon^ bim. § 7. Cf Lot, and the Destrudion of Sodom. Gen^ xix. Lot, the nephew of Abraham, came along with^ bim from the land i>f Chanaan, and joined with )iim in the faith and worship of the true God. He went afterwards and dwelt in the city of Sodom, ^i^here his soul was daily afflicted at beholding and bearing the lew^ess i^pd wickedness of the vpii9kr haac and Jacob, ^ ft bitants. 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. Their sins at length cry-^ ing to heaven for vengeance, the Lord sent two^ Angels to destroy their city, (which he would havo spared, if ten just men had heen found therein,)* and to bring forth Lot from among them. The angels appearing in human shape, were entertained by Lot» wnen behold the men of the city beset his house, and would hai*e forced their way m to abuse his guests, but being struck with blmdness by the- angels, they could not find the door : and early itv the morning they led Lot, his wife, and his two daughters, out of the city» and bid them save themselves by hasty flight, without looking back, lest they also should be consumed. Then the Lord rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom, and the neighbouring cities of Gomorrah, Adama, and Seboim, involved in the like guiit ; and destroyed those cities, with their inhabitants,, and the whole country about, and all things that spring from the earth; and Lot's wife turning to look backa waa changed into a pillar of salt. § S. Oftke Patriareha Isaac and Jacob. Isaac, as he inherited the promises and covenant made by God to bis father Abraham, so he inhe* rited also his devotion and piety ; walking, as the scripture says, Gen. xlviii. 15, always before God, and ever attentive to please him. God gave him Rebecca to wife, of whom he had two sons, twins, Esau and Jacob. Esau, who was the first-bom, profanely sold his birthright to his brother Jacob lor a mess of pottage; and when Isaac was about to have given the blessing that belonged to Esau, the first-born, Jacob, by his mother's advice, ob- tained it by a stratagem; and Isaac, though he bad been surprised, after he had found it out, con- firmed it, understanding it to be the order of God. Jacob inherited the piety and devotion of Abraham 10 Joseph* and Isaac, and is joined with them as a special fa- vourite of heaven, by God himself, when he styles himself the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He was also favoured by a vision, in which he saw a ladder (Gen. xxviiii) standing upon the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and- the ansels of God ascending and de- scending by it, and the Lord himself leaning -apon the top thereof, confirming to him and his seed all the promises he had made to Abraham. He also gave hi|n the name of Israel^ and made him the lather of twelve sons ; from whom the twelve tribes of Israel are derived. These were Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zabulon, Dan, Ncpthali, Gad, Aser, Joseph, and Benjamin. As Ruben had forfeited his priviledge of first-born, which entitled him to a double portion, and to be the priest and prince of his brethren, by defiling his father's bed, the double portion was given to Joseph, from whom descended two tribes, Ephraim and Manasses : the priesthood was given to Levi^ and the sceptre to Judah ; according to the blessing given him by hi» father at his death. Gen. xlix., Tlic sceptre sJiall not he taken away from Judah — till he conie that is to be sent, (Shilo, the Messias,) and he shall be tlie. expectation of nations. § 9. Of tlie Patriarch Joseph, * Joseph, on account of his virtue, became the fa- vourite of heaven amongst all the sons of Jacob,, and was endowed with the spirit of prophecy. He was also his father's favourite, and therefore was hated and envied by his breUiren ; who, having found an opportunity, sold him to some merchants, who carried him into Egypt, and persuaded their father that a wild beast had devoured him. The merchants sold him to Potiphar, a principal officer .to the king, who conceiving a great jfectipn for him. Joseph: n^ l^ve him the charge over all his house; till his mistress, who had often solicited him to sin, to which the chaste young man would by no means consent, maliciously accused him to her husband of having made an attempt upon her chastity. Here- upon Joseph was cast into prison, where his pro-* phetic spirit became manifest in the interpretation of the dreams of two of the Icing's servants. AftiSr two years^ he was called out of prison by Fharao, and upon his interpreting that prince's dreams, foreboding the seven years of plenty, and the seven years of famine, that were to come Upon the earth, on account of the wise counsel he gave en that oc- casion, he was promoted by the* king,, arid made governor over all Egjrpt. • His broth^rs^ fdrced by the famine, came into Egypt to buy corn*, which was sold out under his direction. Having knowti them, though they knew him not, (for he spoke to them by an interpreter,) he charged them with being spies, and treated them so harshly, as to oc- casion them to say to each other, « We deserve to « suffer these things, because we have sinned against « our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when « he besought us, and we would not hear; there- « fore is this affliction come upon us: » not know* ing that he understood them, much less that he was the person. Joseph, on hearing this, turning aside for a while, wept, and sent them home with a charge, that at their return they should being their youngest brother with them: and ordering his steward to supply them with com, and to put eveiy man's money into his sack. At their second coming, after keeping them some time in suspense, he made himself known to them wHh many tears, in the most moving manner, graciously excusing all they had done against him,, embracing and weep- ing over each ol them. After which he seut fo? n Holy Job. Yds father Jacob, with his whole family, into Egypt» and gave them there the land Gessen : and thus it was that the children of Israel became inhabitapta of Egypt, where they sojourned above two hundreds years. § 10. Th History of holy Job. This holy man is believed to have Uved during the time that the Israelites dwelt in Egypt. The place of his abode was in the land of Hus, a part of Edom, or bordering upon it. He was rich in> •worldly substance, but still more so in grace and Tirtue, having this character from the Spirit of God ; that he was a simple, sincere, innocent, and upright man fearing God, and departing from all evil. God was pleased, for his trial, to permit Satan to strip him of all his substance at once, ta cause all his flocks and herds to be driven away or destroyed ; and to raise a storm, which blew down, the house, and killed all his children whilst they were at dinner. Messenger after messenger brought to Job the news of all these disasters, who, upon hearing of them, /<;^ dovm upon the ground, and toorskipped God, and said, JVaked came I out cfmy, fnothers womb, and naked shaU I return to my mo- ther earth: the Lord gave, and the Lord path taken^ , moay; and as it hath pleased il\,e Lord, so it is done: hUssei be the name of the Lord. For JoVs farther trial, Satan was afterwards permitted to strike him with a grievous ulcer, from the sole of his foot even to the top of his head, accompanied by a dreadful complication of diseases and pains, all which he bore with an admirable patience, saying. If we have received good things at the hand of Uod, why should Vfe not receive evd? His three friends, hearing of all the evil that had befallen him, came to visit him; but instead of comforting, only afficted him^ the more, imputing all his sufferings to the, cnm^ii hraeUi€8 in Migypt* la ihey falsely laid to his charge, and pretending, that God never aOIicts the Innocent. Job on his part maintained his own innocence as to all those pre-^ tended crimes, and appealed to the judgment of God. The Lord was pleased at length to pass sentence in his favour, by a voice from above ; and to order his three friends to take seven oxen and seven rams, and Go, said he, to my servant Job, and- offer for yourselves a holocmst, and my servant Jok shall pray for, yov,;, his face will 1 accept^ that your folly oe not imputed to you : for you have not spoken right things before m^, as my servant Job hath. In the conclusion, the Lord was pleased to bless the . latter end ofJob Diore than the beginnijAg, by mul-. tiplying his substance, and grant^ig him a long and happy life. Chap. II. — Froni Exodus and the other Books of Moses. § 1. Of the Oppressio7i qf the fyraelites in Egypt .^ AFTER the death of Jacob and his sons, the children of Israel were multiplied exceeding- ly, till there arose a king in Egypt, who had not known, Joseph ; who, fearing they would grow too powerful, oppressed them with hard, labour, and a most cruel slavery. But the more they were op- pressed, the more they increased aqfid multipled; wherefore the king ordered his people to destroy all the male children that should be born of Israel, and cast them into the river. During this time, Moses, who was bom of the tribe of Levi, beins a lovely child, was hid by his mother three months, till seeing she could conceal him no longer, ;ihe took a basket made of bulrushes, and dauning it witK slime and pitch, placed the child therein, and laid U in the sedges by the brink of tlie river: hi3 9istci^ B 14 JSIoses sent to deUvcr IsrfieL standing at a distance to see what would ensue ;^ when behold the king's daughter, walking by the side of the river, saw the basket in the sedges, and sent one of her^ maids for it; who, on seeing an in- fant therein crjing, and having compassion on it, said, This is onemth^ Babes of the Hebrews. The child's sister told her, that if she pleased, she would go and bring her- a Hebrew woman to nurse the bade. The princess having assented to her propo- sal, she went and called her mother, to whom she said. Take and nurse this child for me, and IxoUlpay thee thy wages. Thus Moses was nursed by his own mother: who, when he was grown up, deli- vered him to the princess, who adopted him for her son, and had him educated in the learning and wisdom of the Egyptians. Going forth after this amongst his brethren, and seeing their great op- pression, he undertook their defence; which com- mg to the knowledge of the king, he sought to kill -him: but Moses fled from his sight into the land of Madian, and was there entertained by Jethro the priest, whose daughter he married, of whom he had two sons. In the mean time, althoi\gh his persecuter, the king of Egypt, dies, yet the cruel oppression of the people of God ceased not. Their cry, on accoiAit of their hard labour and slavery,, went up to the Lord, who was pleased to have pity on them. § SJ. God sends Moses to deliver- Israel: he reveals his JVame to kim. Now Moses, who had fed the sheep of his father- in-law, drove his flock into the innei parts of the desert, and came to Mount Horeb, alias Siaa. — Here the Lord appeared tp him in a flame of fire, issuing out of the midst of a bush. He saw that although the bush was on fire, yet it was not burnt; and as he was going up to discover the Thar 00 refuses to dismiss the Israelites. 15 'ineanin^ of this wonder, the Lord called to him out of the midst of the bush, not to come near, but to put off the shoes from his feet, for the ground whereon he stood was holy: and he said, I am the Ood of thy father, the God of Abraham, &c. I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and have heard their cry, because of the rigour of them that are over the works; and I am come down to deliver them, and to bring them into a land flow- ing with milk and honey. . And I will send three to Pharao the king, that thou mayest bring forth my people out of Egypt. Moses, through the mean opinion he had of himself,' and his defect in his speech, would have excused himself; but the Lord insisted upon his going, — gave him the power of working miracles, and appointed his brother Aa- ron, who was an eloquent man, "to go with him to the king. On this occasion (Jod also revealed his name to Moses. « Lo I shall go, » said Moses^ « to the children of Israel, and say to them, the « God of your fathers has sent me to you. If they « shall say to me. What is his name? what shall <( I say to them? I am who am, (that is, I am « Being itself, the Bein^ of all Beings, all things « else are nothing.) Thus shalt thou say: — He « WHO IS, hath sent me to you, the Lord, (that « is, the Eternal, Self-existent, Infinite Master and « Creator of all things,) the God of your fathers, i< the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the « God of Jacob hath sent me to you : this is my « name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all « generations. » ' §'§. Pharao refuses to dismiss the Israelites : The Plagues of Egypt. Moses and Aaron, being thus send with a com- mission from heaven, went to king Pharao: but he despised the Lord, and instead of suffering the B 2 ■ 16 The Plagues of E^f^t people to ^0, as they had requested, to sacrifice t» their God in the wilderness, ne took occasion from hence to oppress them the more. To punish his ohstinacy, and the wilful hardness of his heart, the Lord afflicted him and his people, with the ten plaguts of Egypt : under which lie often promised to let the people go: but when the plague was over he did not perform his promise. The first of these plagues was the turning of all the waters of Egypt into blood. The second, were the /roff», who commg out of the river in an immense multitude, covered the whole land, filled the king's palace, as well as all the houses, chambers, ana beds of the Egyptians, and spoiled all their meats. The thirds the einiphsy a small fl3ing insect, produced from the dust, and infinitely troublesome both to men and heasts. The fburth, an infinity of flies of all kinds, which terribly incommoded both Pharao and his people. The fiifth, a grievous murrain^ or pesti- lence amongst the came. The sixth, ulcers or hoils, and swelling blains upon men and beasts* The seventh, a frightfuhstorm of immensely large haily with thunder and lightning and fire, whicli driven on together, mixed with hail, and destroyed all it met with. The eighth, the locusts, which de^ voured every green thing that remained after tho hail. The nintli, darkness for three days, caused by exhalations so gross, that they might be felt vnth the hand: so that nothing whatever could be seen, nor could any one move himself out of his place: for it was only where the children of Israel were (who were free from all these plagues,) that there was clear light. The tenth and last plague was the death of all the first-born of Egypt, both of men and cattle, in one night. As a preparation for this, the Lord ordered, that on the fourteenth day of the first month, every family of the childreu of Jisrael^ JTie Isra^Uks jf?.995 the Red Sea. 17 sliould sacrifice a lamb in the evening, and should sprinkle their doors with its bloc>d) and eat the (lesh of it that night roasted at the fire, with unlear ened bread and w^d lettices; with theirs loins girt up, and staves p their hands, in the posture of tra- vellers^ setting out on their journey to the land of promise: when, behold at midnight the Lord slew fdl the first-born of Egypt, from the son of Pharao to the son of the meanest s.lave, and even of their cattle. The angel only spared such bouses as wer^ inarked with the blood of the lamb* Now all this was mysterious, alluding to the tru^ Lamb of God, by the sprinkling of whose blood, and the eating of whose ilesh, our souls are to be delivered from th^ bestroying angel, and we are to be brought home to our true country. With this last plague Pharao^ snd his people were -so terrified, that they presently sent away the Israelites, and even pressed them to^ be ^one, lendin^hem the best things the> bad for their journey, ^he remembrance of their deliver* ^nce froin the bondage of Egypt was ordered to be observed by the institution of me feast of the pasch OTpaasover, on which they every year repeated the sacrifice and supper of the lamb: as a figure of tue christian sacrifice and supper of t^e Lamb of God^ who takes away the sins of the world. § 4. The IsraelUea paiss through the Red 8e(i : P/tai TOO and hU n^/my aredrmcnecl. Exodus xiv. The people of God, to the number of six hun« dred thousand mep, proceeded on their journey till they arrived at the Red Sea, which divides Egypt from Arabia; the Angel of Godf going before to ^how them the way, by day in a pular of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire: which favour was continued to them till they came to the land of promise. And now I?harao repenting that he ha(^ {^t them g9} assembled all his chariots, his hoips^v 93 18 Pharao and his Army drovmed^ inen, and his whole army, to pursue them, and found them encamped by tHe sea side. The people seeins the Egyptian army, gave themselves up for lost; out Moses encouraged them ; and the angel, with the pillar of the cloud, removins from before, went behind them, and hindered the Egyptians from being able to come up with them. And when Moses had stretched forth his hand over the sea, God made the waters to depart, so that the children of Israel passed through the divided sea on dry ground, the waters standing up as a wall on. their right hand, and on their left. Pharao with all his host pursuing, rushed in after them through the midst of the sea ; and now, the morning watch be- ing come, the Lord, from the piHar of the cloud, with which he protected Israel, began to slay the Egyptians. Overthrowing the wheels of thei^ cha- riots, they were carried into the deep. Hereupon they turned their backs tvith the hopes of escapmg. but Moses stretching forth his hand over the sea, the' waters turned upon them, and ovenvhelmed their whole army so effectually, that not a man or them escaped, fiut the chilcbren of Israel continued their march till they came to the opposite shores, the waters standing up as a wall on both sides of them : when they saw the carcases of the Egyptians, east up on the shore, and the mighty hand that the Lord had used e^gainst them, they glorified their great deliverer. This passage of the Red Sea wa& a figure of baptism. § 5. The Journey to Mount Sina, The people in their journey from the Red Sea could not lor three days find any water ; and the waters of Mara, wbich they met with on the fourth, day, were so bitter that tney could not be drank. But on Moses crying out to the Lord, he shewed. him a tree, which, when cast into the waters, they The Journey to Mount Sina. 19 Weame sweet. When they afterwards came into the Desert of Sin, all the people murmured, re- gretting their having left the flesh-pots of Egypt, and the bread, of which they had plenty in that country. On this occasion, the Lord sent amongst them an immense flight of quails ; and instead of bread, showered down upon them in the morning manna from heaven, a most delicious foody where- with he continued to feed them for forty years, till he brought them into the land of promise. This manna was a figure of that hreaa of life, which ' Christ has provided for our support in our pilgrim- age throutrb Ihe desert of tliis world, till he conducts tis to our true country. The next place of abode was in Raphioim, where they murmured for want of water, which, by miracle, was given them out of a rock. This rock was a figure of Christ, and of the waters of life which stream from him. Here also Amalec came and fought against Israel ; but Moses, by lifting up his hands to heaven in prayer, obtained the victory. And the Lord declared an eternal war against Amalec, for persecuting his people, so lately delivered from the Egyptian sla- very. From Raphidim the people removed to the Desert of Sina, over against the mountain, where they were ordered to purify themselves l&r receiv- ing the law of God; and on the t^Jrd daj^ (ivhich was the fiftieth after their departure from Egjl[>t,) * thunder began to be beard, and lightning- to n^^, the sound whereof was that of a trumpet pcrc^ivcii to be exceeding loud ; and a thick smoke, as fr<|a a furnace, came from the mount, which appe^^ed ViCry terrible ; for the Lord had come down upon it in a burning fire; and from the midst of the fire he delivered, with a loud voice, (heard distinctly by all the people below, at the foot of the mountain,'^ H^e Ten Commandments, as follows; -- - > «^» ^■' ( 20 ) § 6. Jin Jihatraet of the Ten CommandmenU^ FroiD Excklus xx., ai^d Deuteronomy v. And the Lord spake all these words : « I am tht c< Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land « of Egypt, and oi|t of the house of bondage. Thovi n shalt not have strange gpds before me. Thou « shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, (an i< idol or imc^ge god,] nor the likeness of any thing a that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath^ « or in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not « adore them* nor serve them. Thou shalt not « take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ; for « the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall « take his name ii^ yaip. Remember that thou « keep holy the Sabhath-dav. Six days shalt thou « labour, and shalt do all tny works. But on the « seventh day is ihe Sabbath of the Lord thy God; « thou shaft do no wojk on |t, thou, thy son, nor « thy daughter, nor thy man servant, nor thy maid « servant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is « within thy gates. Honour thy father and thy tf mother, that thou ipayest live a long time, an(| cc it may b^ well with thee in th^ land which the « Lord thy God wil) give thee. Thou shalt not « kill. Thou shftlt not commit adultery. Thou o shalt not steal. Thou shalt pot bear false witness^ « f^ainst thy neighbour. Thou shalt pQt covet thy <( neighboi^s wue; npr- [shalt thou covet, j hiS; « house, Q0r his field, &c., nor any thing that iS; « his. T^e words the Lprd spoke to all the « multitude out of tlie midst of the fire, and of the «( cloud, and of the darkness, and he wrote them in « two tables of stone, which he delivered to Moses. >», But the people being exceedingly terrified, stood, f^far off, saying to Moses, Speak thou to us, and we will hear: let not the Lord speak to us, lest Xf^ die. Moses then alone went into the daxk clou^d; The tsraelites fall into Idolatry, it wtiere the Lord was, and conversed with him for forty daytl : and partly at this time, and partly after the erecting the tabernacle of the testimony, (the plan of which God eave him in the mountam,) he received from the Lord all the other precepts of the law, as well such as related to the morals of the people, the deciding of their tauses and punish- ing offences, as those that relate to the saeraments and sacrifices to be offered, festivals to be observed, and ceremonies to be used in the worship of God : all which had a mystical meaning with relation to Christ and his Church. § 7. The People faU into ldoJ4Ury: their Punishment The people seeing that Moses staid a long time in the mountain, gawering together against Aaron, they said to him, Arise, make us gods that may go before US; for as to Moses, who brought us out of Egypt, 'me know not what has befauen him.-^ Bring me then, said Aaron, the golden ear-rings of vour wives and children: they brought them t# him ; and with these, by the founc^r's art, he made a molten calf. And they said^ These are the Gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, And having onered sacrifices to the » mol, they sat down to eat and diink^ and then rose up to play : hereupon the Lord ordered Moses to go down from the mountain, telling him that the people had committed a deadly sin, and he would even then have destroyed them, and Aaron with tbem, if Moses by his prayers had not inter- posed. The man of Gfod Went down, carrying the two tables of the law in his hands : « and when hef but in an inferior degree, dedicated to the service of the tabernacle, the priestly functions being re- served for the famfly of Aaron. The tabernacle being set up, and consecrated and anointed by Moses, God was pleased to fill it with his Majesty. Then Aaron being ordained, with his sons, and offering sacrifice for himself and the people, a fire coming^ down from the Lord, consumed the victim in the sight of the people. Uppn this occasion, Nadab and ^bihu, the two eldest sonof AaFon^.presu]niDg^ ri : ■■ I I i U Ififidehiies and Seditions of t i to offer incense with unhallowed fire, were vaaat^ diately destroyed by fire from the Lord. § 9. Of the Infidelities of the People and their Se- ditions in the Wilderness, This ark and tabernacle Were removed from place to place, accompanying the people through all the mansions in the desert, as a tokeii bf Goa's favour and presence, and of his covenant with them; and yet they still continued a stiff-necked and re- bellious people^ Their first march from Mount Sina lasted for three days, the ark of the Lord going before, and the cloud of the Lord overshadowing them. Here again they began to murmur against the Lord, repining at the fatigue of their journey: Sind the fire of the Lord being Kindled against them, devoured those that were at the uttenhost part of the camp; till Moses prayed to God, and the fire was swallowed upl Here also a mited multitude that came of £gypt, inflamed with, a desire' after flesh, sat weeping, the children of Israel also being joined with them, influenced by their bad example, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? Werememr her the cucumbers^ ihe metonSf and the onions we eat in Egypt : our soul is dry^ our eyes beholding nothing else Imt manna^ The wrath of the Lord was therefore enkindled against them, because they regretted their departure from Egypt, and prefer^ red the flesh-pots and onions bemre the food he gave them from heaven. However, he promised to give them flesh to eat, which would serve them for a whole mouth, till they perfectly loathed it : and he, by a strong Ivind, brought over from be- yond the seas, a prodigious multitude of quails, and cast them into their camp, and all around it, for the space of one day's journey ; of which they killed and dried such a quantity, as sufficed to feed them for foor weeks. But^ then^ for thejy? ■^ the Israelites in Hie Wilderness* ^^ punishment, he sent a great pestilence amongst them, of which hiimbers of them died and were buried in that placie, which thenceforward was called the.gTav£« of Itist, on account of their irre- gular desirie after the Egyptian food, for which Uiey werie punished with death. When they were drawing near to the land of Chanaan, of which ihe Lord had promised to piit them in possession, Moses sent twelve spies, one principal man out of every tribb, to view the whole country, and bring back an account of it. At their retunv they brought some ot the fruits of the land, in token bf its fertility; but then they so terrified the peo- ple by exaggerating the litrength of the cities, and gigantic size of the inhabitants, that there arose an universal murmur; which Caleb and Joshua, two of the number, sought in rain to quell : for the multitude would even have stoned then, and Ivere for appointius themselves a leader, and re- - turning back into ^ypt* Whto Mosies and Aaroa heard this, they feu Mi upoh the ground before the multitude, and the glory of the Lord appeared over the tabernacle of the covicnant to all the peo- ple. And the Lbird said to Moses, How long tinU, this people not believe me; aft& aU the signs which I have wrought before them9 I will strike them therefore wiih pestilenee, and conswiie them. But Moses prayed most earnestly to the Lord to for-r £ive them, and he was graciously pleased to hear his prayer; yet^so as to excliidd, by an irreversi* ble decree, all the mut^l^urers from ever entering the promised land, and to sentence them to die in the desert; and as for the authors of the sedi- tion,' they were Struc'k dead upon the spot: but the rest going out the ntxt day to %ht, against the will of God, were defeated by the Cba^aa- lutes. X f n. !^ 1 ■ t I i' \' ', m itM; i4^ V w '4^^H B 1 K f • 1 1 M II f 1 1' '^ i 1 !^ t 1 ' n 1 1{ ♦ ^1 1 . i ; 1 • ^ 1 1 ► 1 i' i' )i i 1 .it :, ! \ 1 • i ' f) 'Hi ;' I tl: 1 4 1 i ;■ i L V 1 1. .\ .\ ■i.. . ( 26 ) ^.. . . • . 10. Of the Schism cf Korah, Datlian, and Mircm. Korab, a Levite, Dathan and Abiron, of ths tribe of Ruben, with two hundred and fifty others^ , all leading men of the synagogue, rose up against j Moses and Aaron, opposing their authority, and claiming to themselves a share in the priesthood. Which When Moses had heard, he prostrated him- self on the ground, dreading the conseijuences of so sacriregious an attempt. Then, speaking to Korali, and all the multitude, he said, In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him; and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him. Take every one of you censers, with fire in them, and put incense upon the fire before the Lord, and whomsoever he shall choose, he shall be holy. He also sent for Dathan and Abiron, who, refusing to come, or pay any regard to his message, sent him back a contumelious answer. The next day, Korah, and all his companions, with censers in their hands, standing on the one side, and Aaron with his censer on the other; when they had drawn up the whole multitude against Moses and Aaron to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them. And he said to Moses : ComTnand the people to depart from tht tents of Korah, Dathan, and tdbiron; which, when he had no sooner done, then behold the earth, opening under their feet, swallowed them down alive; and at the same time a fire issuing from the Lord, des- troyed tlie two hundred and fifty that offered the in- cense ; and on the day following, fourteen thousand seven hundred others, who raised a sedition against Moses and Aaron, imputing to them the death of all that had perished. After this, the Lord was plcasod to confirm the priesthood on Aaron, by the Murmuiiags ofihe People. 27 miracle of the blcoming of his rod; which also he ordered to be kept for a monument in the taber- nacle. § 11. Other murmurings of the People: their FiC" iories over Schon and Og*. When the people arrived at Cades, on the conr fines of the land of Edom, where tliey wanted wa- ter for themselves and their cattle ; they again be- came seditious, and murmured against Moses and Aaron, for bringing them out of Egjrpt into those wretched deserts, and demanded water in a tumul- tuous manner. Moses and Aaron betook them- selves to the tabernacle, and there prostrating them- selves on the ground, besought the Lord to opep his stores, and give to the people a fountain of water. He ordered them to take the rod, and to assemble the people; and to speak to the rock be- fore them, and that it should give them water. — The mullitude having assembled before the rock, Moses struck it twice with his ro(3, and there come out water in great abundance, for the refreshment pf the people and their cattle; but on account of some diffidence or weakness of faith in Moses and Aaron, on this occasion, the Lord told them, that they should not be permitted to conduct the people into the land he was about to give them. Froni Cades they proceeded to Mount Hor, where Aaron died, and his son Eleazar was made high priest in his stead. Here they defeated king Arad the Cha- naanite, and destroyed his cities. In their march from Hor, in compassing the land of Edom, the people, wearied with their journey and labour, again murmured against God and Moses; and the Lord, for their punishment, sent among them fiery serpents, (so^alled from the burning beat caused hy their bite,) which killed many of them; but upon confessing their sins, and begging for mercj, Moses, C 2 I I » 'i I; ( Sd Balaam sent to curse Israeh I h 't 1 / i, n by order of th^ Lord, made a hraven serpent, which he set up as a sign, which, whep those that were bitten, looked upon, thejr were healed. This ser- pent lifted up in the wilderness was ^ figure of Christ crucified, and of the efiicacy of a lively faith in his passion against the h^tes of the ^femal ser- pent. Afler this, the people ins^rching pn, came to the torrent Arnon, whose rapid streams were miracu- lously dried up to afford them a passage. They then sent to Scnon, king of the Armorites, for leaver to pass through his territories, which lay between them and the river Jordan; which he refused, and came out with a)i his people to %ht against Israel, who slew hin^ with his whole army, and took pos- session of all his cities. ' l^hey iheip turned them- selves, and went up by the way of Basan, when 0^, the king of Basan, came against them with all his people; and the Lord delivered him also, With all nis dominions, into their hands.' Thus Israel pos- sessed themselves of the fertile countries of Basai^ and Galaad; and gave them to the tribes of Ruben* and Gad, and to half th^ tribes of Manasses. § 12. Baiaam is sent for to curse Israel : his wicked poimseli md the c(mseqv,ences of it. These victories of Israel alarmed Balac, th^, king of the Moabites, who in conjunction with thet I»rinces of Mf^dian, sent a solemn embassy to Ba- aam, who they esteemed a great prophet and favo- rite of heaven, to invite him to Qpqie ajoA lay his curse upon Israel. In his journey, the gUJurdian[ angel of Israel stood iii his way, with a drawn «W9i*d, and suffered not h\^ ass to pass by; pay, he even opened the mouth of the dumb beast to re- buke the prophet, and then discovered himself to him, sa3ring, I am come to withstand thee, becai^sc^ thy way is perverse, and contrary to me. j^alaan^ Death and Burial of Moses, worshipped Lim, falling flat on the ground, and offered to return home again: but the angel bid him go; but to speak no other thing than what he should command him. Balaam, tliroiigh the desire he had of gratifying Balac, tlirce times at- tempted lo curse Israel; but at each time he was obliged, by the Spirit of God, to bless them, and to prophesy good things of them. He even fore- told the coming of Christ, whom he calls the Star that should arise out of Jacob, Yet, after- uttering all these good things, he gave to Balac and the Madianites, a most detestable counsel, which was, to send their beautiful women in the camp of Is- rael, who might allure the people to lust, and draw them over to the worship of their gods, and by that ineans strip them of the grace and protection of the Lord, By this diabolical counsel, which was pu,t in practice, a multitude of people were debauched from the Lord ; for which infidelity four and twen- ty thousand of them were slain; but, by the com- mandment of the Lord, an army was sqnt against the Madianites, who had debauched them ; which, %vithout the loss of a man,' slew all their princes and people; and with Ihem Balaam, their wicked counsellor. ' ' § 13. The last Ads of Moses: his Death and Burial. The time of the I)eath of Moses being now at hand, he caused all the people to be numbered, from twenty years old and upwards, by their tribes ; and they were found to be six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty ;.amongst whom there was not one of those remaining who had been numbered before in the Desert of Siha, except r'aleb and Joshua: for the Lord had foretold, that tliey should all die in the wilderness. He then de- livered to the people all the precepts and exliorta- tions contained in the book of DcutcroRomj, which C 3 ■ K Vfi I 1 1 ,1 f I' <■. ;'l so Dea/A anc? Burial of Moses, }\e wrote at this time, representing all the diving benefits conferred on them and their fathers, incul- cating particularly, that they should love the Lord< their God with their whole heart, a^d keep all his, con[imandmentsr~that they should fty froin idola- try, and all the other abominations oi the Cnanaan^ ites, and have no manner of cpmmunication with the^i — that they should be always humble, and; never attribute their victories or good success to' apy merits of their own, but to God's free love and goodness, and t^e covenant he had made wi^h their, fathers; for that they had always been a stiff-neck- ed and rebellious people, &c. With these exhor-. tatjpns he joined a promise of great b]essi|igs to. them, if they kept God's law; and threats pf the. most dreadful punishments, it thi^y transgrefts^d. — . He also told them, that God would rais^' up for them, in his good time, another great prophet, a; ii^wgiver like himself, meaning JesiLS GhrisU whom ?ill must hear and obey, who would be saved* He. then assembled all the people, and solemnly re- newed the covenant between them and the liOrd ;. and taught theih a canticle, which was to be to; them a constant remembrancer of the law of God. Then, after giving his blessing to all the tribes, he ascended, a^ God had commanded, to the top of • Mount Nebo, from whence the Lord shewed him all the promised land, and there gave up his spirit into the hands pf God, being one hundred and twen- ty years old. The Lord buried him by the minis try of angels* and would have the place of his bu- rial to be unknown, lest the Israelites, who were prone to idolatry, should p^y divine honours to his, fscpulchre. . * •• Passage m^er the Jardatu H 0RAP. HI. From the Book of Jpshua and Judges. § 1 . The miraeulojus Passage over the River Jordan. JOSHUA, by divine appointment, succeeded Moses, and being encouraged by the Lord, adnaonish^d the people to prepare themselves tf^. pass over the river Jordan. In the mean time he sent two spies to the strong city of Jericho, who were harboured and concealed by Rahab; in re- ward of which good work, a covenant was made, to^ save all that should be found in her bouse at the taking of the city. After their return, the people removed their camp, and-£dllowed at a distance the priests that carried the ark of the Lord up to the river, which at that time was swelled and had been filled up to its banks. When behold no sooner had the priests, who bore the ark, dipped their feet in the water, thau the channel dried up; the waters that were coming down being stopped, so as to^ swell up like a mountain, and be seei) afar off; and the waters that were beneath passed away into the. Dead Sea or Lake of Sodom. ' And thus all Israel luarched through the fi 1 s^iiA he, the shoes from off thy feet, for the place •whereon thou standest is holy. § 2. The taking of Jericho and Hai. For the taking of Jericho, the Lord ordered that they should ihake a procession round it for seven days, the priest carrying fhe ark and sounding the trumpet : and on the seventh dav, when the peo- ple gave a great shout, the walls immediate fell down, and every man enteriia^ by the place that %vas opposite to him, they tooK and destroyed the city, only sparing such as were found in the house of Rahab; but the spoils in gold and silver \^ere consecrated unto the treasury of the Lord. Joshua also, by the Spirit of God,' laid a curse upon the man that should ever rebuild the w«ills of this city. Ill a mystical sense, Jericlio signifies iniquity : the walls of which are thrown t expect that any thing should so well with them, till this enormous evil is removed; because God wUl not dwell with them. After this the people went i^p against Hai, which with easf\ they took and destroyed. § 3. The israelitea deceived hy the Gabaonitea : t^ miracuUm f^^ory over five Kings : Joshua corner inands the Sun to stand still. "' '' And now th^ Mi\g$ <>^ Chanaan faearmg what Joshua had done to Jericho and Hai, all with one accord f Ambined together to fight against Israel ; th^ Gabaonites excepted, wl^o, sen<^g an embassy, as they pretended, from a distant country, to the. Israelites, induced them to enter into a leagiie witl^ ihend : deceiving them because they had not first consulted the Lord. However, when the cheat was discovered, they would not kill them, because of their oath; but sent^nc^^ them to be for ever in the service of the people and to hew wood, and draw w^ter for the use of the altar and the taberna- cle. But Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem) hearing fiiat the Gabaonites were gone over to Israel, join- ing his forces witH the kings of Hebron and Jeti-i ip^oth, and of Lacbis and of Eglon, went, and lai^ I I I H 94 Oiher VidorieSi Ads and Death of Joshua, «iege to Gabaon ; of which the bcsciged gave notice to Joshua, who, being encouraged by the Lord, set out front his camp at Galgal, and marching the whole night, came suddenly upon them. And the Lord terrified them at the sight of Israel, and slew a great number of them. And as they were fleeing py the descent of Bethoron, the Lord cast down upon them great stones from heaven, as far as Azeca: and many more were killed by the hail- stones, than were .slain by the sword of the Israel- ites. Then Joshua, full of faith and confidence, spoke thus, in the hearing of the people, to the Lord, and said, « Move notf O sun, towards GaJfa- o- on; nor thou, O moon, towards the valley of Aja' « Ion: and the sun and moon stood still till the « people revenged themselves of their enemies. — « So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and a hasted not tp go down for the space qf one day. « There was not before nor after so long a day, th.e tf Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for .. -.^ <£a!!J Id /^>-) 'i r(:(perly chastised. In the morning Heli, insist-, 1^ upon knowing what the Lord, had said, Samuel (old fiiifh all. Heli humbly submitted to the sen- ^Qce of his punishment, saying, It is the Lm*(f; let; 42 Heli and Samuel. him do what is srood in his siM. From this time the Lord often revealed himself to Samuel • and all Isrficl came to know tnat he was a phophet of the Lord. ' In those days the Israelites being worsted in an engagement with the Philistines, sent to Silo, for the ark of tlie Lord to be conveyed into their camp for tlieir protection ; and the tvsro sons of Heli came along with it. The people received the ark with great acclamations of joy ; but God was not pleased to grant them his protection ; for they were again beaten by the Philistines with the loss of thirty thousand men; Ophni and Phinees were both slain; the ark of God was takep to the extreme grief and desolation of all Israel ; and Hcii, upon hearing the news, fell back from his- seat and expired, beiiig ninety-eight years old. The Philistines carried away the ark, and set it up in the temple of Dagon, when that idol fell down t\rice before it. They removed it from city to city ; but wherever it came, they were grievouslj'^ plagued; fill at length, after seven months, they sent it away to Bethsarnes, a city of Israel : where the people looking into it too curiously, were struck with a pestilence, which carried off fifty thousand. From Bethsarnes, the ark was removed to Cariathiarim; where it remained till the days of king David. ^ § % SamueL — A*ter the death of Heli, Samuel judged Israel ; and happy were the people under las direction. He brought all the house of Israel to follow the Lord, and serve him alone. And hav- ing gathered them together to Masphath, where they all joined in the confession of their sins, and in fasting and prayer ; he there obtained for them a jglo^ious victory over the Philistines, who came up to fight against them. For he took a sucking lamb^ ajid offered it whole for q burnl-offering^td the Lord'^ Samuel and SaiiL 43 «nd he died to the Lord for Israel, and tlic Lord heard him ; and he thundered vpon (he Philistines ivith a great 1h under, and ierrijied ihexn; and they were overthrown, and the Men of hrael made a great slaughter of them* J^nd the Fhilisiines were hum' hied; and the hands of the Loid was against them all the days of Samuel. And now the Prophet" growing old, and his sons, whom he had made judges, not walking io his foot- steps, the people insisted upon his giving them a king to judge them, as all other nations had their kings. And the Lord was pleased to make choice of Saul to be the man. He was sent out by hi j father to seek some asses that were lost; and not finding them, he was directed to consult Samuel ; to whom the Lord the day before had revealed his coming, and that it was he that should rule Israel, Samuel entertained him that day and the next morning, and privately anointed him king; in con- sequence of which unction, God presently gave him a new heart, and the Spirit of God came upori him. After this, Samuel called the people together at Masphath, and proposed to them the choice of a king by lots; and here the lot fell upon Saul. He had hid himself at home, but was discovered by the oracle of the Lord; and when he was brought among; the people, he was found to be taller than any ot them by the head and shoulders; and they all cried Out, God save the king. § 3. Scfw/.-r-Saul was very good in the beginninjj of his reign, and as long as he continued so, the Lord was with him, and all things prospered; God gave him many signal victories over the enemies of his people; and, in particular, a most miraculous one over the Philistines, who had brought out thii^ ity thousand chariots, and an immense multitude; i^inst himi^with which Ibc Israelites were so mucll p! I' b*. i->^rtf^>«^ 44 Samuel and Saul* dismayed, tbat they slipt aivay^ and left no more than six hundred men with the king. On this oc- casion the hrave Jonathan, Saul's eldest son, fuU of confidence in the Lord, accompanied with his armour-bearer, climbing up the rocks, ventured to assault an -advanced party of the Philistines, and defeated them. Upon which a iremour, as a rau racle from God, siezed the Philistine armv so vio- lently, that their uproar was heard in Saul's camp, ivhose watchmen perceived a multitude overthrown, and fleeing away in every direction. At length Saul and his men shouting together, came to the assists ance of their bretherni when behold, every man'« ^word was turned against his neighbour, so that there was an immense number of the Hiilistines slain. And thus the Lord saved Israel that day. After this and many other victories over the ene-i inies of God's people, Saul was sent by the Lord to destroy the Amalekites, who had been the most inveterate enemies of Israel, even from their first coming out of Egypt, with an express order not to covet or bring away their cattle, or any thing else of theirs, but to demolish all. Here he unhappily transgressed, by sparing their king, and bringing away all the best of theur cattle; and for this diso- bedience he was cast off by God. Suffer me, said Samuel to him, (1 Samuel, chap, 3(v. verse 16, &.c.) md I loUl tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. *B.nd he said to him, S^eajz* •And Bar muel said. When thou wast a little one in thy own eyes, was thou not made the haai of the tribe of Is- rael? •And the Lord anmnted thee to he king over Israel, and sent thee to go and destroy •Amalee: why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the Lord;, %ut hast turned to the prey, and hast dome evUin th^ eyes of the Lord? tAnd Saul send. The people took ^the spoils, sheep and oxen^ to offer sacrifices to thj^ Samueli Saul, and Daviti* 45 Lord tJieiry God. And Samuel said^ Both the Lor^ desire holofi/austs and victims^ and not rather that the. voice ofJhe Lord^shoxdd he obeyed! For obedience is better than, sacrifices, Sfc, Because it is like the sin of witchcraft to rebel; and like the crime of idtlatry to refuse to obey. Forasmuch tJierefore as^ ihtu hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath also refected thee, Sfc. jyeither will he be moved to repentance ; for he is not a man that he should r^ent,. This rejection of Saul, once the elect of God, was a figurie; of the reprobation of the Jews, once his chosen people, for refusing to re- ceive and qbey their Messias, Jesus Christ tlie Son. of God*. And now Samuel is sent to Bethlehem to anoint a king among the sons of Isai or Jesse. And here, after the rejecting all the rest, David: ^he youngest brother is sent off from keeping the sheep, and is anointed king by the commandment of the Lord. — : And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Pavid froni that day fdrward., But the Spirit of thp Lord de- parted trom Saul; and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. G» this occasion, David, who was a, skilful player on the harp, was taken into Saul's family, and by his harp and devotion, chased av^ay the evil spirit. A war breaking out with the Phi- listines, Saul took the field, and Dayid returned borne. In this war, Goliah, the champion of the Philistines, a man of gigantic size, challenged ali*, Israel to furnish a man to fight with him h,and to, hand. David, who came to see his brethren^ hear- ing this challenge, and judging that the honour of the Lord was at stake, offered himself to Saul to go^and fight against the Philistine: and when Sau) ^aid to him, Thou art not able to withstand him; for thou art but a boy, and he is a warrior from his youth: he assured the king, that he had already m I 46f Samuel, Saw?, and David. slain a lion and A bear, and made no doubt, but .with the help of the Lord, he should in like manner overcome this infidel. He went therefore against the Philistine with no other weapon but a sling and five stones ; but armed with an entire confidence in the Lord. « Thou comcst to me, said he to Goliah « (who despised him.) with a sword, and with a « spear, ana with a shield; but I come to thee in « the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the « armies of Israel, which thou hast defied this day: « and the Lord will deliver thee into my hands, and « I will slay thee, and take away thy head from « thee; and I will give the carcases of the army of ^c the Philistines this day to the bii'ds and to the « beasts, that all the earth may know there is a « God in Israel, &c. » In this confidence, as the Philistine was coming up against him, he put a stone into his sling, and fetching it about, he struck him in the forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. And as David had no sword, he ran up, and standing over Goliah, drew his sword out of his sheath, and cut off his head ; which the Philistines seeing, immediately fled away; Israel pursuing and making a great slaughter of them. After this victory, Jonathan entered into a cove- nant of the closest frie?idship with David, for he loved him as his own soul. But Saul began to be jealous of him, and to envy him; insomuch, that he made many attempts on his life, which divine providence still protected; nay, he even massacred Achimelech the high-priest, and eighty-five other priests, and destroyed their city, only for having re- lieved David. Nor did this unhappy prince cease to persecute him, till he obliged him to seek refuge in the land of the Philistines. Though David had more than once his life in his power, yet he would pot pufl'er his men to hurt ^ hair oC his head, DavltJt, 4t In tlie conclusion, Saul groin^ out to war against . tile Philistines, finding himseli forsaken by God, fiGck's by magic to caul up Samuel, whp was dead , some time before, in order to consult him. God ' jtcrmits Samuel to appear, who denounces to Saul his approaching death.^ To-morrou^ said he, thou • find thy ons shall hP, with me. Tlie battle of Gel- boe ensued, when Israel was overtlu'own, and Saul, ; with three ofiiis sons, were slain. § 4. Damd. — David lamented grievously the un- happy death of his enemy, no less than that of his dear friend Jonathan; aiKi by divine admonitioa . goin^ up to Hebron, the caj-ital city of Judah, was made king over the whole tribe of Judah, where • he reigned seven years; whilst Isboseth, the son of Saul, reigned over the other tribes. At the end of seven years Isboseth was murdered by two of his servants, whobrought hi^ head to David ; by whose orders these murderers were immediately put to# death. And now all the tribes of Israel agreed to, > make David their king; upon which he left Hebron, and having taken Jei usalem out of the hand of the Jebusites, together mth the castle, of Sion, which" he built up, and make his residence, he made it his . first care to bring away the ark of the Lord from. Cariathiarim, with great joy and devotion, that he. might have it near himself. On this occasion, Oza. being struck deaA for touching the ark, David,, through fear, deposited it for awhile in the liouse of Gbcdemon. But from thence, after three months, having assembled the priests and Levites, he trans-, lated it with ^ most solemn procession, with sevea choirs or companies of musicians, and many sacri- fices, he himself playing on his harp, and dancing! yvi^ all his might before the Lord; and brought it into the tabernacle, or pavilion, which he had pre^ pared for it, in the precincts of his own paless 4ia > 4S XhxvidL Mount Sion. And here this rcligiouv prince > whMe l^reat passion, from his youth, was to love and florify the Lord, and to sin^ his praises, appointeci levites and priests to minister continually hefore the Lord, and to give glory to his name, ^ welt with their voices as with their trumpets and other musical instruments; of which tne chief were. Asaph, and Heman, and Idith.um„ whose names so, often occur in the title of the psalms which David composed on this occasion tp be sung before the Lord, himself attending and assisting in the pern formance. His zeal (or the divine glory suggested 'also to him a desire of buildins a magnificent temple for the worship of the Lord; which, though he was not permitted to execute, his good will wa» rewarded with the promise of great blessings in his seed; pfirtly relating to his son Solomon, who was^ to build the material temple in Jerusalem ; but; much more to Christ, the great Son of D^vid, and the builder of the true temple of God, which is the Church) his everlasting kingdom, which shall never fail, nor be cast off for any iniquity of her children. Pavid had now reigned happily for many years, and had been blessed ynth success in all his wars^ against the enemies of God's people; when, O! the dreadful frailty of mortals! ne was drawn into^ the grievQus sin of adultery, by casually seeing a, woman washing herself; which ought to be a^ cau- tion to all men to keep a guard upon their eyes;. and to all women, not to expose any part of their' naked body to ^e eyes of men. But see hpw one- sin is quickly followed by another.. This prince^ not findmg any other means to conceal the crime^ eauseth her husband Unas, who was then at the siege of Rabba, the capital city of the Amorites, to be placed where the greatest danger was, so that, jtie W9S slain there. After which David m^Qil: David* 49 4he tvidow, who bears him a son. And here the prophet Nathan is sent from the Lord to remon- strate to him the heinousness of his crimes, and his ingratitude after so many favours received, and to denounce to him his punishment. And though hv his -sincere repentance and confession of his guilt he escaped the sentence of eternal death that stood out agamst him, and the Lord was pleased to take away his sin as to the guilt, yet those dreadful temporal punishments, which the prophet, had der nounced, were all inflicted upon him. And now be began to be very unhappy in his own ifamlly. His eldest son Amnon ravishes his sister Thamar; and in revenue for it, is killed by his brother Absalom. Absa&m flies to Gessur^ where he remains three years, till by the interest of Joab, the general, he obtains his pardon : iStev which, he insinuates himself so far into the favour of the people, and alienates their minds from his father, as to make himself to be proclaimed king in his place, and to oblige kind David to leave Jeru-^ , salem, and to save his life by fleeing beyond the Jordan. After which, by the wicked counsel of Achitophel (who soon hanged, himself,) he defilcvi his father's wives in the sight of all the people.- — And then passing the Jordan with his army, was defeated by DavM's servants in the forest of Ephrar im, with the loss of twenty thousand of his men. — in his flight, as the nule on which he sat went un^ - der a thick and large oak, his head was. engaged and stuck in the tree ; and the beast passing on, left him hanging there, till Joab hearing ijt, came up with three lances, and thrust them into his heart. His good father, who would gladly have had his life saved, grievously lamented bis death, (dying iii Jeroboam and his Successors, his aiccessors, which was followed by them all, till both they and their calves were destroyed out of the land. So dreadful is the evil of scandalous exam'* pie, more especially in men of dignity. Jeroboam w^s offering incense to his golden calf upon his altar in Bethel, when a prophet was sent to him from Judah, who foretold the birth of Jo- $ias by name, (not bom till three hundred and fifty years after,) and what he should do with that altar^^ and the bones of its priests, &,c., upon which, when Jeroboam stretched out his hand, ordering the pro-t phet to be appreheuded, his hand iumxediately with-« ered, and the alter was rent. He begged of the prophet to pray for him, and by his prayer his han<| was restored* Yet this uuhappy prince departed not from his wicked ways. Nq5 not even after the prophet Ahias, who had foretold his being kinff« denounced to bim from the Lord the dreadful evils that were about to fall upQn his house for his wic]^- edness in making to \mase]£ strange gods and niolten gods, and casting the Lord bemnd his back. In punishment of which, after two and twenty yearsi reign, he was struck by the Lord, and died m hisi sins. His son and successor Nadab did not long survives him: but after two years reign, walking in all th^ ways of his father, he was slain by Baasa, who made himself king^ and immediately extirpated every individual of the family (^ Jeroboam, as the prc^het Ahias had foretold. Baasa walked in the footsteps of his wicked predecessors, aiid the like judgments as had fallen upon them were denounced! to his fa^iily also, by Jehu the prophet, the son of Hanani. Although he put the prophet to death, .yet he could not avert the judgments of God, which were soon after executed; when his son and suc- l^^ssor £la was murdered by Zambri. and alibis E3 • 54 Elias the Prophet kinsfolks and friends extirpated. But Zambri be- ing no better than his predecessors, was beseiged T>y Amri in the royal city of Thersa, when finding himself likely t6 fall into his hands, after seven days tyranny set the palace on fire, find perished in the flames. '^ ., Amri walked in the footsteps of Jeroboam; he built up the city of Samaria, and made it his resi- dence; when dying after a reign of twelve years, he left the kingdom to his so'^ Achab. This prince marrying Jezabel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Phenicians, introduced the worship of Baal, the idol of the Phenicians, and became the very worst of all the kings of Israel ; destroying the a Itars of the Lord, by the suggestion of his Wife, and killing the prophets. At which time Obadiah, the king's Steward, an eminent servant of God, concealed in Caves, and fed with bread and water, no less than one hundred of those holy men. § 3. The history of Elias the Prophet. ' In the days of king Achab, the Lord raiseu up the prophet Elias, who stood forth manfully for ;L<, Church of the living God, against the worship of Baal. By his prayers he prevented the heavens from giving any ram for three years> which occar i^ioned a dreadful famine in all the land : at which, time he was first s^ent to the brook Carith, where he was miraculously fed by ravens, till the waters of the brook were dried up. He was afterwards !5ent to Seraghta, a city of the Sidonians, to a poor widow whose small quantity of meal, which would scarce have sufficed to have nourished her for one day, was by a miracle made to support both him and her family, without ever diminishing, till the time that the tord sent rain upon the earth. In the piean time the. wido\v\s gon died, whom the prophet ta^sed to life again. And now the time lacing Qon;i<^ Elias the Prophet 55 when the Lord would give rain, he sent FJias to meet Achab; and all Israel being assembled to mount Carmel, together v/ith aU the prophets of Baal, Elias coming, gaid to the people, Hmo long you do hall between two sides? If the Lord be God, Jblloio htm! but if Baal, then follow hiru Then he 9aid, I only remain a prophet of th^ Lord ; but the pi'ophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men,- — Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one, mid lay it upon wood, but put no fire under; and 1 will dress the other, and lay it upon wood, and put no fire under it. Call ye on the names of your gods, and I loill call on the names of my Loi'd: and the God that shall answer hy fire, let him be God. And fill the people answering, said, A very good proposal. Upon which, when the prophets of Baal had dressed their bullockj and called in vain upon Baal fiom morning till noon, leaping: over their altar, and cut- ifing themselves with knives and lances, Elias, iq ills turn, repairing the altar of th^ Lord that was broken down, and laying the wood and the bullock upon it, addressed his prayer to the Lord, when immediately fire came down from heaven and con- sumed both the holocaust and the wood, and the very stones of the altar; which all the people see- ing, fell on their faces, and cried out, The Lord h& %s God, the Lord he is God, Aftar which, the pro^ fihet obtained by his prayers a ijaost plentiful sup- ply of rain. ; And now the impjoUs Jezabel being resolved up* on taking away his life, Elias fled into the dcsertj where he was fed with bread by an angel; and in the strength of t!:at food (as a figure of the bread of life, which we receive in the bkssed sacrament) 'be walkedforty d-ays and forty nights unto the mount qf God, Hoi'eb, and there was favoured with an ex- traordinary vision and revelation from God, Aftcv 56 Elias the PropJieU tWs he wag sent to denounce to Achab the lieayy judgments of God that should fall upon him an4 pjs wife Jezabel, for the unjust inurder of ^abothj who had refused him his vineyard; in particular, that in the place where the dogs had licked the blood of Naboth, they should lick his blood also: that his whole fainily should be exti;rpated like that pf Jeroboam; and that Jes;abel should be eaten by dogs. Achab being terrified by tliis perdiction, bumbled himself in fasting and putting on hair- cloth, and by this piearis obtained a reprieve for a time. But riot long afte^, bein^ deluded bv his false prophets, and slighting the prediction of Mi- ch^sas the prophet of the Lord, he went out to fight against the Syrians in Ramoth Galaad, and was slain in his chariot; which was brought home, and washed in the pool of Samaria, the dogs licking ujp^ his blood. His son Ochozias succeeded him in the kingdomi^ and walking in all his ways, is quickly overcome bv. Piione Justice. . In his illness, he sends to consult Beelzebub, the god of Acharon. Upon which Elias declares to him from th^ Lord, that because he hasi ^ent to consult Beelzebub, as though there was not a God in Israel of whoni he might enquire the word; therefore he should never come doWn from! his bed, but should surely die. His brother Joram succeeded him in the Ipngdom* And now the time was come that the Lord would take away Elias, who sought,. on this occasion, id discharge his disciple Eliseus; but he absolutely refused to part from him. They w^t therefore t dogs. § 5. Jehu, and the Kings his Successors, Jehu, having now got quiet possession of the kingdom, extirpated the whole family of Achab, his seventy sons, and ail his kindred, with all his friends, and all his priests, to a man, according to the prediction of Ehas. Then having, by a stata- gem, brought together all the worshippers of Baal to his temple in Samaria, he sent his soldiers in amongst them, who killed them all, and demolished 1both the idol and the temple, and thus put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel. By these means he obtained a promise of the Lord, that his chidren should sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth gene- ration. Yet neither he nor they lived up to the law of the Lord, but adhered to the idolatrous worship of the calves of Jeroboam. And for their punish- ment, Israel was most dreadfully ravaged by Ha- zael king of Syria, according to the prediction of £liseus. Jehu, after having reigned twenty-eight years, had for his successor his son Joachaz. In his time, Israel was brought so low for their sins, tiiat this .king had no more left of them than fifty horsemen and ten diousand foot; the rest being all slain by the king of Syria. In this great dis&ess, Joachaz called upon the Lord, who was pleased to hear him and to deliver Israel from total mint Yet h» left not the calves of Jeroboam, Jehu and his Siieeesiors, 61 Joachaz reigned seventeen years, and had for his tsnccessor his son Joas, who walked in the same footsteps. He visited the prophet Eliseus upoifhis heath-bed, and received from nim an assurance that he should be victorious over the Syrians in three different battlea. The prophet died soon after, and was buried : and a dead man^s corpse, which was cast into his sepulchre, had no sooner touched the bones of Eliseus, but the man came to life again^ and stood upon his feet. Joas reigned sixteen years, and had for his suc- cessor his son Jeroboam the sccdnd, who followed the same course as his father had done. He reigned one and forty years; and in his time restored Israel to its ancient bounds, recovering all that had been lost, according to'the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Jonas. This was that same Jonas the prophet, who was sent by the Lord to preach penance to the sreat city of Nineve, the capital of the Assyrian empire. But dreading the commission, he sought to escape by sea to the coast of Tharsis. But is Was vain to at- tempt to fly from the face of the Lord ; the ship in which he sailed was attacked by a most violent storm, which ceased not, till Jonas, who confessed hunself to be the cause thereof, was cast into the sea. Here the Lord had phspared a monstix>us fish, by which he was swallowed up, and preserved alive in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. In the mean time, he called earnestly Upon the Lord; at whose command the fish cast lum out upon the shore. And now being sent again, he goes to I^^neve, and preaches through the great streets, cry- ing but, Yet forty days tmd Jrtneve shaU he destroyed. This preaching had a wonderful effect; the men of Nineve believed in God, they proclaimed a general Iswst, they tttmed from their wicked ways, sind both m 63 Succession of the •» r if \h '♦ :tf king and people, from the l^igliest to the lowest, cried to the Lord for mercji; and he was pleased to shew them mercy. Jonas, who was the only pro- })het that was sent to the Gentiles, was a lively igure of the resurrection of Chi'ist our Lord. After the death of Jerohoam the second, his son Zacharias reigned six months, and then was slain by Sellum; who, after one month's reign, was de- prived both of his life and kingdom by Manahen. This king reigned ten years, and had for his suc- cessor his son Phaceia; who, after two year's reign, was killed by Phace the son of Romelia. Fhace reigned twenty years, and then was deposed and slain by Osee the son of Ela, the last of the kings of Israel. AH the princes did evil in the sight of the Lord; and on account of their sins, and the sins of their people, the Lord delivered Israel into the hands of tne kings of Assyria, who carried them «iway into captivity, and placed other inhabitantB in Samaria in their stead. These new comers in- troduced a strange mixture of religion there, wor- shipping at the same time the God of Israel and their own pagan deities. § 6. The Succession of the Kings ofJudah, 1. Roboam, the son of Solomon, after the di- vision of the kingdom, reigned prosperously for the first three years, whilst he followed the X'• ■ ■ ITT • - ■• 4 i!! >% • vomers m- lere, wor- Kings ofJudah, « nation, said, The Lord is just. And when the i< Lord saw they were humhied, the word of the « Lord came to Semeias, sayins, Because they are « humbled, I will not destroy them by the hands of « Sesac. But yet they shall serve him, that they « may know the difference between my service and « the service of an earthly kingdom. So Sesac de- « parted from Jerusalem,'taking away the treasures V of the house of the Lord, &c., » and the wrath of the Lord was turned away iVom his people, because they were humbled. Nevertheless, Roboam did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord- sincerely. H^ reigned seventeen years, and had for his successor his son Abia. . " 2. Abia only reigned three years, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord. However, in4he war against Jeroboam, his faith and confidence in. the Lord was rewarded with a most glorious vic- tory over Jeroboam's army of eight hundred thou- i$and men. 3. Asa, the son of Abia, extirpated idolatry out of his dominions; and the Lord rewarded his zeal and piety with a prosperous reign. With confi- dence in God he virent out to fisht against Zara the £thiopean, who brought a million of men against him ; but the Lord having terrified the Ethiopeans, they fled before the army of Asa, and were utterly destroyed. 4. Asa reigned forty-one years, and had for his successor his son Josaphat, a pious prince, who was greatly favoured- by the Lord, and reigned prosperously five and twenty years. He was a true father of his people, tak^'^o' to heart not only their I temporal, but much more" their spiritual welfare ; an4 for this end he sent forth teacherft, Levites and priests, through all his dominions, to instruct i Sis subjects in the law of the Lord, appointing everj6 '■'1 w «« 'k^ i m n 64 ^ccestimofthe I I where proper Judges, and even visiting theA him« self, and sparing no pains to bring his people bacl( to the XiOrq, the Goa of their fathers. In his time, when the Ammonites, Monbites, and Syrians, came against him with an infinite multitude, he prepared Iiimself and hjs people for the war, by earnestly seeking God^s help with public prayer aud fasting, and was assured by a prophet, tnat the Lord would grant them victory witnout %hting; as he did the following day ; when their- enemies, turning their swords against each other, destroyed one another, and left their spoils to be gathered by Josaphat and his people. 5. Joram^ the eldest son of Josaphat, succeeded in the kingdom, and was a most wicked prince. He murdered all his brothers, and brought in the worship of B^d}, being married to Athal^, daugh- ter of Ai^hab- His reign was 9hQrt and un^iappy^ and his death w^dt miserable. 6. Ochozias, the sop o( Joram, walking in his footsteps, in the space of one year was overtaken by divme justice, and slain by Jehu. After his death, his wicked mother Athalia usurped the king- dom, killing all the children of the royal family ex- cepting Jo^s, the little son of Ochozias, whom bis aunt stole out of the nursery, and hid from her.-r- Athalia maintained her usurpation six years; and in the seventh, Joas being proclaimed kin^ by the captains of the guards, by the counsel of Jouida the tugh-priest, the usurper was slain, and the worship of Baal was abolished. 7. Joas reigned well whilst he wa^ under the d> rection oif the holy priest Joiada. But. after his death, being deluded by the flatteries of his cour- tiers, he forsook the Lord, and caused Zacharias, the son of Joiada, (who threatened him and his peoi pie with the wrath of God,) to be stoned to des^tl^ Ki7*gs of Judali, W in tho court of the temple. But this vrickedness was not suffered to go long unpunished; for within a year the Syrians came upon him, killed all his courtiers and flatterers, and with a handful of men ^ defeated an infinite multitude: the Lord deliver- ing them up, because they had forsake*! him. On - Joas himself also they executed dr^^adful judg- iTients : for when at theii* departure, thejr left him ill great distress, bis servants rose up against .him, «nd slew him in hib bed. He reigned, in all, lorty yeaYs. 8. Amazias, the son of Joas, was good in the be- finnip^ of his reign; but bavin? vanquished the Mdomites, and brought away theii idols, he set them up and worshipped them. Bein;:; reprehended by a project on that occasion, and threatened with the judgments of God, he would not hearken to him. "Wherefore he was shortlv after overthrown, and taken prisoner by Joas king of ? -rael, and at length slain by his own people. !)e n \gned fiTteen years. 9. Ozias, alias Azarias, sm ?ind successor of Amasias, reigned two and fiity years; and was prosperous under the conduct of Zacharias the seer, who- taught him taseek the Lord: and as lon^ as he sought the Lord, the Lord directed him in all things, and made his reign happy. But being ele- vated with prosperity, he attempted to go in to offer incense in the sanctuary of the temple, which was a. function that belonged ta the priest alone: upon which, he was immediately struck with n leprosy, which be carried witi Iv'Th to his grave. ^ 10. Jomatha, son oi Ozias, was a good prince, and reigned happily sixteen years. He was strength- ened by the L^ord» saith the Scripture, because he mddc his loayf? right before the Lord his God, II. Achaz, t]i6 sojn of Jomatha, yi»s very wicked F 3 li es Succession of the and verjr unhappy,^ dij^ring hU whole rciga pf si$-* teen years. 12. Ezeehias» son pf Achaz, restored religion a^ain, which his father had eKtirpated, and totally abolished idolatry. He had for his director the great prophet Isaias; and as he sought the Lord with all his hesirt, he was highly favoured by him. In his days, Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians,, invaded Judea with an immense army, and. sought to make himself ^naster of Jerusalem ; blaspheming the Lord, in who^i Ezechias put his trust. But this good prince was secure under the divine pro- tection, of which he was assured bv the propiiet,. 4 Kings, xix. llius saith the Lord, Be not afraid; for the words which thoU hast hem:d, with which the servarUs of the king qfthe Jissynans have blasphemed me. Behold I wul send a spirit upon him, 8fc» and he shall return into his oten country; and IwUl make him fall by tlie sword in liis own country, — jFfe shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow into it, nor come before it xoith a shield, nor cast a trench aboui it. By the way that he came lie shall retui:nj and in this city he shall not come, saith the Lord, ^nd I will protect this city, and I wiU save it for my own saJce, and for David my servants sake,, saith the Lord. Mnd it came to pass thaf, night, that an angel cfthe Lord came and slew, in the camp of the •Assy- rians, a Jiundred and eighty-five thousand. •And njolym he arose early in the nwming he saw all dead bodies. And Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, departing, went away, and returned to JStneve. •And «s ke was worshipping in the temple justice, and was slain in his sins. - 15. Josias, the son of Amon, was a godly prince. He restored religion, and utterly abolished idolatry and superstition, not only out of Judea, but also out of the cities of Samaria. The Spirit of God ca Succession of the gives him this character, (4 Kings, xxiii.) That tiiere was no king bef&i^e him like unto him, that re- turned to the Lord %oith all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength: neither after him did there arise any like him. After a peaceable reign of thirty-one yearSj going out unadvisedly to light against Nechao king of E^pt, he was slain in battle; and much lamented ?by his people, parti- cularly by Jeremias the prophet. 16. Joachaz, alias Sellum, was made king by the people, after the death of his father Josias. But he walked not in his father's footsteps, and after three months was deposed by king Nechao^ and< carrried away into Egypt; 17. Joakim, the eldest son of Josias, w&s ad- vanced to the throne by the king of Egypt. He was a very wicked prince, and very unhappy in his reign. He fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, who carried him in chains to Babylon; at which time also Daniel and the three children were made captives, and part of the sacred vessels were car- ried away from the temple. Joakim-seems to have recovered his liberty, upon condition of serving the king of Babylon: but fter three years^ he revolted from him. He reigned in all eleven years; and then dyin^ in Ms sins, left his kingdom to his son : Jt>achin. 18. Joachin, alias Jechonias, walked in his fa- ther's footsteps : but within three months was de- posed'* by Njebuchadnezzar, and was carried captive to Babylon, with all the nobles and his captains, and thousands of the choicest of his soldiers and craftsmen, together with all the treasures and gold- en vessels of the temple which Solomon had made. This prince, in his captivity, turned to the Lord, ^nd was penitent for his sins, as appears from B{i- iUQh i. 3, &c., and After the death of Nebuchad- Kings ofjudah* m ^ezzar, was highly favonr'^d Bfid esalted l)y his son And succeFsor Evibnerc Janiel. § 1. Daniel, and the Three Children, — At the [ime that king Joachin first fell into the hands of lebuchadnezzar, (from which the seventy years of the Babylonish captivity are usually dated,) four Vouths of royal blood were carried away to Babylon, .'hose names were Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Lzarias. These, by orders of Nebuchadnezzar, rere taken into his palace, to be instructed in the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans, that they - night be (qualified to stand before the king; who i ilso appointed them a daily provision of his own i^_ leats, jpd of the wine of which he himself drank. ^ Jut the pious youths, fearing lest they should be lefileci with the king's table, petitioned the officer vho had the charge over them, to give them pulse, ^r ,^arden stuff, to eat, instead of the king's meats, >ad water to drink; and with this kind of food leic faces appeared fairer and fatter than any of ^ le children who eat of the king's meat. And to [iiese^bildren God gave knowledge and understand- 1*1. initii III ml': n Susanna and the Elders, ing in every book and wisdom; but to Daniel also, a prophetic light for the understanding of visions and dreams. And when, after three yfears, they were brought in before the king, and were examin- ed by him, he found them ten times more learned than any of the wise ttien of his kingdom. § 2. The History c/ Susnnna.—Da.niel was yet very young, but had acquired a great esteem among the people for hi» i^vkdom> wbea he saved the life of Susanna. There were ?!t tiiai <;ime two old men that were appointed judges for ike Jews in Baby- lon. The^e freqiiontcd the house of Joakim, the husband of Susanna, and by often seeing her going in to walk in her husband's crchjird, were inflamed %vith lust towards her; for she was exceeding beau- tiful. At length they ^^ covered their passion to each olher, and watching for an opportunity of finding her alone in the orchard, made their wicked proposals to her, threatening Withal, that if ^he did not consent to their lust, they should swear against her that they had taken her m adultery. Susanna, who from a child had been brought up in the fear of God, rejected the proposal >vith horrer, and cried out with a loud voice. The elders also cried out against her; and when the servants of the hl)use rushed into the orchard to see what was the matter, they pretended they had found a young man ^vith her. The next day, when the people were come to the hoUbC o( Joakim, the two old men cited Susanna to appear before them, and made themselves both ac- cusers and witnesses against her; and procured that she should be condemned to death for adultery. Susanna, weeping, looked up to heaven: for her heart had confidence in the Xord. And she cried aloud to the Lord, the witness of her innocence; and he was pleased to hear her.. And when she wai led m J^ehuchadnezsarU Dream, 7S away to be put (o death, tfee Spirit of the Lord moved Daniel, then a young boy, to cry out: I am innocent of the blood of this wpman: return to judgment,' ye children of Israel: for they have borne false witness against her. So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him; « Come and sit thou down among us, and shew it « us, Seeing God hath given thee the hono"r of old « age. And Daniel said to the people, Separate « these two far from one anotherj and I wPi exa- « mine them; which, when they had done, Daniel « examining them apart, in presence of the peo- « pie, by their contradicting one another in the ac- « count they gave, convicted them of being false « witnesses. With that all the assembly cried out « with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who « saveth them that trust in him. And they rose Up « against the two elders, and condemned them to « that death, which they had designed for the inno- « cent. » . § 3. JVeJmchadnezzat^s Dre&m. — ^Hie king had a dream, with which he was very much terrified in his sleep; but afterwards it quite went out of his t uind. He sends therefore for all his wise men, and his diviners, and astrologers, and requires of them^ that they should tell hin^ his dream, and the inter- Sretation of it ; an4 as thejr were not able to tell his ream, he charges them vvtth being impostors, and orders thait they all should be put to death, Daniel hearing of this edict, begged that a stop might be put to the execution of it, aiid that time might be given him, and he would resolve the question, and declare it to the king. Then he went into his house, and invited his three companions to join tvith him in humble prayer, that the Lord in his ftifercy would reveal this secret, to the end that they hright not perish with all the wi^e men of Babylon r< The Three Children And God was pleased to hear their prayer, find to rcveftl the mystery to Daniel in a vision by night ; for which favour he most heartily blessed and prais- ed the Lord. Then being brought before the kin?, he told him hisdjream, viz: that he had seen in his sleep a tall statue of a terrible aspect standing before him ; the head of it was of gold, the breast and the arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay; that thus he saw it, till a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and struciv the statue on his feet, and reduced the whole to dust; and the stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. Then as to the interpertationj he told the king that thi&. dream was prophetical, God being pleased to foreshew by it what was to come to pass in the latter times, ^fhat the statue denoted four great monarchies, which should successively rule the world; but the stone that w^as cut out of a mountain without hands, denoted a kingdom which the God of heaven should set. up, (viz : Uie kingdom of Christ in his church,) which should subdue all other kingdoms, and stand for ever. Nebuchadnezzar, upon hearing this, fell down upon his face to worship Daniel, acknowledging that his God was the God of gods. He also pro- moted him in honour, *and at his request appointed his three companions (whose names he changed to Sidrach, Misach, and Abednago,) to be over the works of the provirxe of Babybn; but Daniel him- self he kept in this palace. § 4. The Three Children in the fiery Furnace. After this, Nebuchadnezzar set >up a statute of gold of fifty cubits high in the plain of Dura, and as- sembled all his nobles, governors, and magistrates, and all the chief men of the provinces, to the dedi- cation of it; giving orders that upon hc^^g the in the fiery Furnace, •» 75- .■ ■ sound of the trumpet, and the concert of all other iusical instruments, all should prostrate them- selves and adore the statue he had erected, under , )ain of being cast into a furnace of burning fire. — "^he throe young men, Sidach, Misach, and Abed- lago, being called upon on this occasion, resolutely ^old the king, that they would not worship his gods, lor abore the statue he had erected. Upon this their leclaration, the king in a great fury ordered that le furnace should be heated seven times- more than had been accustomed ; and commanded the Wrongest men that wepe in his army to bind the ^oung men, and cast them into the fire; which the )ldiers immediately executed with the loss of their wn lives, being burnt to death by the flame. But \e angel of the Lord went down with the three ser- [ants of God, and drove the flame of fire out of the imace, and caused a cool breeze to be blown in le midst of the furnace, which prevented the fire rom touching them, or doing them the least injury. This wonder of the almighty power and goodness, , ms declared in their favour, excited the three chil- jren to praise and glorify the Loi*d with all their . trength, and to incite the whole creation to join . lem in his praises. Nor was it long before the , [in^ perceived the miracle, and said to his nobles, . Did we not cast three men bound in the midst of the fire? Behold, I now see four^ walking in the midst of the furnace, without hurt; and the form of the fourth is like a Son of God. Then going up to the door of the flaming furnace, he called upon these servants of the most High God to come forth tahim; and immediately they came out from the midst of the fire. And tne king, and all that were with him, viewing them, found that the fire had lio power at all over them, nor so much as singed their hair or their garments. » This evi- G a ^ . , ^6 jyehtictiadnezzAr punished. derit mirslcle obliged Nebuchadnezzar to give gldry to their God, and to publish an edict, by which he forbid the blaspheming of him under pam of death. § 5. The Judgment of God upon jyebuchadnezzer, for his Piide. The Lord was pleased after this, to denotmce to this king, in a dream, the judgments which were going to fall upon him for his sins. Daniel, who interpreted this dream to him, advised him to j)re- vent the execution of the sentence that stood against him from the Most High, by redeeming his sins by alms-deeds, and his iniquities by woAs of mercy towards the poor; and then, perhaps, said he, he "will forgive thee thy offences. But this prince, it seems, did not follow his advice : for at the end of twelve months, (whilst he was walking in his palace, and priding himself in the strength of his power, and his great atchievements, by which he had raised Babylon to that height of empire,) a voice came. down from heaven, denouncing to hini, « that his « kingdom should pass from him, and they should « cast him out from among men, and that his dwel- « ling should be with beasts; that he should eat « grass lUce an ox, and that seven times or seasons « shall pass over him, till he should know and !ic- « knowledge that the Most High ruleth over iihe a kingdoms of men, and giveth them td whom he « pleascth. » All which was immediately fuliillod; for the king having presently lost his reason, became mad; and in this condition remained abroad in the company of beasts of the field, feeding upon griss for seven seasons, till his hair grew ih such a mjan- ner as to resemble the feathers of an eagl^, arid Ki? nails like bird's claws^. At the end of the predicted time, looking up t^owards heaven, his sense was restored to him, and he gave glory to God. And his nobles sought for him; arid brought him back to Evilfiierodaeh — Baltassar' a Banquet 77 loB tiirone, from whence he nublishcd an authentic account of what had happened to him; which he concl "les with these word, « Therefore I, Nebu- yith a loud * voice, Great art thou, O Lord, the God of Daniel! «s An4 he di'pw him out of the dep : but those that dj whom « thou always servest, been able to deliver thee « from the lions ^ And Daniel answering, said, O « king, live for ever : my God hath sent his an- te gel, and hath shut up the mouths of the lions, *(c and they have not hurt me; because before him « justice nas been found in me ; yea, and before « thee, O king, I have done no offence. Then the (( king commanded he should be taken out of the « den, and that his accusers should be cast in*; who « had scarcely reached the bottom of the den before «Lthe lions caught them, and broke all their bonea 80 TobUy or Tolnas. « in piec^. » Up^n this, king Darjus published an edict, commanding all the subjects to the em-r pire to dread and fear the living and eternal God^ tvhom Daniel worshipped. ChajP. VII. — The Bistory of ToJnt, Judith, and Esther. § 1. TobUi FMl OBIT was a native of the tribe and fyt Tobias. ^ city of Nephthali, who from hi^ very childhood feai'ed the X^ord, and was a strict observer of the divine law. He never bent his knees to the calves of Jeroboam, but went to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, and thiere adore4 the God of Israel, ofiering to him his first-fruits aind tithes. When he came to m&nhood he took to wife Anna of his own tribe, and had of her a son, named Tobias, whom he taught from his infancy to fear Gpd, and to abstain from all sin« And now Salmanasar, king of the Assyrians, hH.v- ing taken Samaria, and put an end to the ^ingdoin of the ten tribes, carried away Israel in captivity ; and Tobit, with his wife and child, was brought tq Kineve ; where fn the midst of the infidels, and in a inost wicked city, he still remained mindful of th^ Lord with his whole heart; and ikhc Lord was pleased to give him so much favour in the sight of palmanasar the }img, that he granted him leave to go whithersoever he would, witn liberty to do what- soever he had a mind. He therefore went to all that were in captivity, and gave them v(4iolesome admonitions. At which time, coming to Rages, a qity of the Medes, and finding there Gabelus, one of his kindred, in want, he lent him ten talents of the money he had by the king's bounty, taking his note of hand for the payment. After the death of Salmanasar, bis successor Sen-> ll^h^r^b hating the children of Ii^rael, Tpbit daily .|.:i5K- Tohit, or Tolnas, n vrant among all hisL kindred, comfoi*ting them, and distributing te every one as he was able out of his goods. He f^d the hungry, and clothed the naked, and was careful to bury the dead and those that were slain. But when Sennacherib, (return- ing from Judea, wlier^ his army was destroyed by an angel in one night,) slew many of the children qf Israel. Tobit was accuse^ to him for burying their dead Ijodies, whereupon the tyrant command- ed him to be slain, and his substance to be con- fiscated. Tobit fled away with his wife and son, and lay concealed ; ftwf many loved him : but when- after five and forty days the king wa^. killed by his own sons, the servant of God reti^jined home, and all his substance was restored tp, him. Tobit iollowed on the same course of life, till Qod was pleased, for his trial and advancement in virtue, as well as for the manifestation of his patience, as an example to posterity, to permit that an accident should befal him, whereby he lost his sight. For whereas he had always feared God from his infancy, and kept his commandments, he murmured not, because the evil of blindness had befallen him ; tut continued steadfast in the fear of God, giving thanks to Iiim all the days of bis life. And when his relations and kinsmen took occasion, from his l5)lmdness, to mock at his life, saying. Where is npw thy hope, for which thou gavest alms and bu • riest tlie dead? he rebuked them, saying. Speak jiot so ; for we are the chi'ildren of saints, and look for that life, which God will give to those who jiever change their faith from him. Tobit was four years under this trial, which was aggravated by his wife, who also joined with them that re- proached ISm. Hereupon he addressed his prayer to the Lord with many tears, acknowledging the justice of all the divine ways, and begging that im 82 Tchiii or Tobias, God would not remember his sins, nor those of his parents; but that, if it were his holy will, he would command his spirit to be received in peace. And now the holy man, thinking he was about to die, called his son, to give him, as he imagined, his last instruction: diligently inculcating to him his duty to his mother, but above all things, that during nis whole life he should always have God in his mind, and never consent to any sin; but that he should in a special manner be on his guard against impurity and pride, as the mother of all jnischief ; with other excellent lessons, dictated by the Spirit of God. In the conclusion he put him in mind of the ten talents he had lent to Gabelus, and desired he wouH seek some trusty man to accompany him as far as Rages, that he might receive them from him. Tobias went out, and met a beautiful young man, girded as it were for a journey; and not knowing him to be an angel, enquired of him if he knew th^ way to the country of the Medes. — He answered, that he had been with Gabelus, who dwelt in Rages. Upon this, Tobias introduced him to his father, and he recommended his son to his charge. . Having set out upon their journey, they lodged the first night by the river Tigris. Here Tobias going out to wash his feet in the river, was assault- ed by a great fish. Having cried out for help, the angel (who called himself by the name of Azarias, which in Hebrew signifies the help of Gody) encou- raged hifn to lay hold on the gill of the fish and bring it on shore. He did so, and then taking out the entrails, he laid up, by the direction of the angel, the heart, the gall, and liver, for useful medicines; but the fish they roasted, and took with them in the way, salting as much of it as might Tohitj or Tobias* SS those of ^^h ml], reived ia '^as about nfiagined, to him figs, that e God in t that he against wschief; le Spirit mind of desired any him oi from 1 young; and not ' him if ■edes LIS, who •oduced son to lodged Tobias ssa^It- Jp, the zarias, incou- h and akins: )fthe iseful with night serve them till they came to Rages. When they were far advanced in their journey, the angel in- formed Tobias, that there dwelt in the neighbour- hood a near relation of his father, named Raguel, who had a daughter called Sara, an only child, and that he should ask her in marriage, and that all their substance should come to him. Tobias an- swered, « I hear that she hath been given to seven « husbands, and that they, all died : moreover, I « have heard that a devil hath killed them. Nov/ « I am afraid lest the same thing should happen to « me also. Hear me, said the angel, and I will « shew thee who they are, over whom the devil can tt prevail: they, who in such a manner receive ma- tt trimony as to shut out God from themselves, and « from their minds, and give themselves up to their « lust, as the horse and mule, which have not un- « derstanding, over these the devil hath power. — « But thou, when thou shalt take her, go into the « chamber, and for three days keep thyself conti- « nent from her, and give thyself up to prayer with « her. On the first night lay the liver of the fish on « the fire, and the devil shall be driven away; and « when the third night is past, thou shalt take tho « virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather « with the love of children than for lust, that in the « seed of Abrabani thou mayest obtain a blessing « in children. » When they cam^ to Raguel's house, he received them kindly, and being told that Tobias was his kinsman's sjf ,, he embraced him, saying with tearsTj A blessing be upon thee, my son, because thou art the son of a good and most virtuous man. He also ordered a feast to be prepared for them. Tobias, as instructed by the angel, demanded his daughter in marriage. But here Raguel, knowing what had happened to the others ^vho had taken her H TOit, or Tobias. w before, stood in susnpnnn • . *ngeJ e,jcpuraged h&L'"ilf "r ?";• **" «■* her to this man- for i^ i.;i!^'i « "^'^ ^^rsxid to dvp daughter due^aLd the»fc ±^"*,?0'1 « % Jer. Then Ragnel cont«.^5^*^*'" ?'"»W "ot have JandofhisdauI'lrtijfEe'itl^^ Jif Tobias, saying, The God nf ?w ^® "S'''-^an«i JM may he joia you •toS(*'*„'S\fe. r* you, »iessr !M.d «;f helotayou -to.^^^^^^ Wg in you. ■ ^ - '"S***"?'' ««»d fuM his b.cs», f c4h"oSnhet'4r/''l''' '"'«^'^« »« the pre- tte Jsh, and ayinWu^n\* ^'''^ "^ *e livef'of ttmi *« »"£«! took Eril ^"^^''- i« the mean in the deseJt of the upj^r fe> a«d bou„d him Ihey celebrated the'mar5t„r#^P*- ^''« next dav and the fear of the S^V!?!"^'* decent joy^ desire of Tobias, wenll™^ *?, ^Pg?!. "t^tfi'e' S>vwghim, for his wife's „Z-; ^ tather-in-iavy substance in hand; ^erl^^"' T? '"''f "^C tte death of her pwentt 1^ ^^''°'''« to him after posed that he sho^Tgo before TA' "^^ P^' sooner bring comfort to hsafl«^?*> ™S'»t the , also bid him. take the Lll of .V ^^ JP*'"*'?t; and When they drew near to^hicifrl^* ^-5 '*''»' him. •As soon as thou shaif !. ^' "? *»'d to Tobias ?»ediatcly adore the £LTvV"^' thy house S Jng thanks to him, eo to tl3 ?,°^' *"*' «"«»• giv-' «noi„t his eyes ^tf th? sIuonL^fu^^'^S him shaU be opened. ToMh °( ''*,^''' '"d they ordered, wflhin half an ho„r Zf l?T f *« ^»« > y S8U, 4 white skm began Tahiti or Tobias. 8^ to come out of his eves like the skin of an eg§i which ^vhen Tobias had taken hold of and drew from his eyes, he immediately recovered his sight : and they all glorified God. After seven days had elapsed, Sara, the wife of '!f obias, arrived safe with her servants, and all her substance in cattle and money. And Tobias having related to his parents all the favours that God had done to them, by means of the person that conducted him, the father and fson calling him aside, begged he would accept in return for his services, one half of all the substance they had brought. '' ' But he said to them secretljr : « Bless ye the « God of heaven, and give gl6ry to him in the it sight of all that live, because he hath shewn his « mercy to you. For it is good tp hide the secret « of a king ; but honourable to reveal and confess « the works of God. Prayer is goqd with fasting ♦< and alms, more ttian to lay up treasures of ^old; '< for alms delivereth from death, and the same is « that which purgeth ?i\vay sins, and makcth to « find mercy and life everlasting. But they that « commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their ov;n « souls. I discover then th§ truth unto you, and I « will not h\de the secret from you. When thou didst « pray with tears, apd didst bury the dead, and didst « leave thy dinner, and didst hide the dead by day in « thy house, and bury them by ni^ht, I offered thy « prayer to the Lord. And because thou wast ac- « ceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation « should prove thee. And now the Lord hath « sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara, thy « son's 'Wife, from the devil: for I am the angel « Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the « Lord. Now when they had heard these things « they were t*'Oubled, and being seized with feaf- i M 'ik 86. Judith and .« I « they fell upon the ground on their face. And* « the angel said to them, Peace he to you, fear « not; for whrn I was with you, I was with you « hy the will of God : bless ye him, and sing c( praises to hin^. I seemed indeed to eat and to « drink with you ; but I use an invisible meat f\nd « drink, which cannot be seen by men. It is time « therefore to return to him that sent me. But « bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful « works. Which when he had said, he was with- « drawn from their sight, and they could see him « no more. Uut they continued for three hours « laying j)rostrate upon their face and blessing « God ; then rising up they published all his won*- « derful works. < Tobias was sixty years old when he recovered his sight; after which having lived two and forty years in joy, and with great increase of the fear of God, he then departed in peace. His son Tobias lived ninety-nlae years, and saw his children's children to the fifth generation; and all his pro- geny persevered in such pious lives and holy con- versation, that they were the favouries both of God and mem § 2. Jtiditfi. — .Xudith was a lady of the tribe of ^J'^ieon of the city of B«thulia. Being left a wi- dow by her husband Manasses, with a plentiful fortune, sheconsecrated her widowhood to devotion and penance, and for this purpose made herself a private chamber in the upper part of her house, in which she abode shut up with her maids, and wore a haircloth upon her loins, and fasted all the days vf her life, except the sabbaths and the feasts of the house of Israel. Although she was exceedingly beautiful, yet she made no account of her beauty, but was held in great respect among all for her vixtue, for she lived so much in the fear of the Jl«prd Holofefnss, 87 je of that no one could be found to speak an ill word of her. In those days Nabuchadnezzar, (not the king of Babylon, wlio sacked Jerusalem, but another, who was king of the Assyrians, and reigned in Nineve,) having overcome the king of the Medes, was so elevated with his victory as to form the resolution of bringing the whole earth under his dominion; and in order thereto sent his general Holofernes with a mighty army against alHhe kingdoms of the west, with a commission to lay them waste, to des- troy their cities and their temples ; to the end that he alone might be acknowledged lord and god by all those nations. After having laid many other regions desolate, he drew his army near to Judea; at which the people of God, who were greatly alarmed, fearing Jest he should do to Jerusalem and to the temple of the Lord as he had done to other cities and their temples, made what preparation they could to de- fend themselves against so formibable an enemy ; they cried to the Lord God of Israel with great eagerness for his assistance, and iiumbled their souls in fasting and prayers. And now Holofernes, hav- ing waited thirty days in Idumea to unite his forces together, advanced and laid siege to Bethulia, a city so strongly situated among the mountains, that it could not be taken by assault. But he found tiie means of reducing the citizens to the last ex*- tremity, by cutting off the atqueduct which fur- nished them with water; so that in a short time, their cisterns being emptied, there was not left water enough within the city to satisfy them, even' 'for one day. In this distress, the people assembled together besought Ozias, the governor, that they might be permitted to deliver themselves to the Assyriana, H 3 a \ti «* Judith and rether than live In captivity under tliem, or die by their swords, for that both they and their wives and children should perish by a more Ungering and dismal death, for want of water to assuage their thirst. Ozias endeavoured to encourage them to trust in the Lord ; and after they had for some hours joining in earnest supplications, confessing their sins with many tears, he exhorted them to wait for mercy from the Lord five days, and if no aid came within that time, he would then deliver up the city. The holy widow Judith hearing of this, sent for Ozias and the ancients, and remonstrated with them on the ill they had done in fixing a time for the mercy of the Lord, and appointing a day, instead of humbly waiting for his time, with an absolute con- fidence in him, and conformity with his will. Hav- ing disclosed to them the intention wherewith God had inspired her, of attempting something for their delivery. « You shall stand, » said she, break of day she went dpwn the hill, and when she was met and stopped by the watchmen of the Assyrians, she told them she was a daughter pf the Hebrews, who came away because she knew they would become a prey to them, and desired to be introduced to the presence pf their general. No sooner had they brought her to the tept of Holofemes, than he became vio- lently in love with h^r; and learning the cause of her coming, he appointed her a lodging in the tent where his treasuries were deposited, giving orders to his chamberlain, that she might be at liberty to go out and in, as she pleased, io abore her 0od in the night, in th^ valley of Bethulia, as she had re^ quested. > On the fourth day Holofemes invited her to supr per, and whilst she eat and drank with him of the provisions her maid Had prepared for her, his pas-: sipn for her became so inflamed, that he drank more plentifully pf wine than he had ever done before in his life. At night, when his servants, overcharged with wine, had retired to their lodgings, and Judith was left alone in the chamber, whilst Holofemes lay on his bed) fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk, she ordered her maid to stand before the door, and to- watch; tlien standing before the bed, praying with tears in silence to the Lord for his help and as- sistance, she dreiv out the scymeter from the scab- bard that hung at the bed's head, and takins hm H3 ' I * I t !*Wr i I i 90 JudUh and Hohfemea, by the hair of his head, said, Strengthen me^ O Lord Oody at this hour. Slie struck tvrice upon his neck, when, having separated his head from his body, she went out, and gave it to her maid to put it into her wallet. They then both went out, according to their custom, as i«; were to prayer; and having passed through the camp, • and walked over the valley, they arrived at the gate of the city. When Judith said to the watchmen upon the wall, Open the gates, fw God is with us. The watch having called the ancients of the city, they and all the peo- Ide ran to meet her; and when they had lighted up ights, and all had gathered rounci about her, she said, « Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not « forsaken them that hope in him. And by me his « handmaid hath fulfilled his mercy, which he pro- « mised to the house of Israel; and he hath killed « the enemy of his people by my hand this night. » She then took the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, at the same time call- ing the Lord to witness, that his angel had been her keeper all the time she had been in the enemy's camp, as well as in !ier going thither and returning back, and had not permitted her to- be defiled witii sin. Upon whicb all the people adored, and gav« praise to God; At break of day, as directed by Judith, when they hung up the head of Holofernes upon the walls, every man took to his arms, and rushed out of the city with a violent noise and shouting, to make ah assault upon the camp of the ^Syrians; wIk), going to rouse their general on this occasion, and finding bim weltering in his blood without a head, raised so great an uproar in the camp, and such a panic in the whole attny, that bereft of all courage and counsel they thought of nothing but saving them- selves by flight, leaving every thing behind thenK. Esther and Atsuerus* n Ozins pursued them, and sent messengers to all the cilies and countries of Israel; who, having also sent out their choicest younff men after them, killed all they could overtake, tiU they came to the confines oC Israel. In a word, the people of God were en- riched with their spoils, and gave glory to their great Deliverer. Juditli lived many years afterwards, to see the good things of Jerusalem; and persevered to the end in the virtuous and godly life she had begun, till at the age of one hundred and five years, she de-^ parted in pea^ §3. Esther ^he days of the great king As- suerus, who ) jvet one hundred and twenty- seven provinc , tio. • India to Ethiopia, there lived in the city of Susan, where he kept his court, a Jew named Mordochai, who had a niece who dwelt with him, a most beautiful maiden, named Esther, whom he had adopted for his child, because she had lost both her parents. It happened that the king (who took great offence at Vasthi his queen, for her dis- obedience, deposed her from the royal dignity ,) had sent orders to all his provinces, for the most beau- tiful young virgins to be brought him, amongst whom he might choose one iQ be his queen, instead of Vasthi ; Esther being of this number, was pre- sented to him, who pleased him so much above all the rest, that he immediately set the royal crown on her head, and made her his queen^ Her uncle Mardochai chose to fix his abode at the king's gate; and whilst he dwelt there, he dis- covered that a design had been formed between two of the eunuchs, who were porters, that pre- fj'ided at the first entry of the palace, to murder the king. Having acquainted the queen with this con- federacy, she told it to the king in Mardochai's liaKie ;. and enquiry being iaiade, they being fpvmd 1^ 4 ^"' lit I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.75 |56 ."r 140 1^ 1 2.2 1^ 1.4 m 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation "^.V 33 WEST MAIN STRHT WiBSTiil.N.Y. MStO (716) •73-4503 ^ .♦. 1^ ^s Esther and guilty, were executed, and the whole account ^f trial was recorded in the Chronicles before the king. After this, Aman, of thjC race pf Agag, was ad- vanced by the king to so high a decree of honour, that ail the king's servants wer^ ordered to bend Itheir knees to him, and worship him. Mardochai alone would not pajr him this worship : at whicli Ajnan was highly ofifended ; and understanding that he was a Jew, resolved to reyenge himself upon th6 ivhole nation. Jle therefor^ prociJired, through the favour he had with the king, that letters should be sent, ordering all the Jews that were found in his dominions to be destroyed in one day, viz., on the thirteenth day of ths twelfth month, that being thi^ day which had come up b^ lot. Mardochai and the rest of the Jews hearing this, lauiented and moume4 in fasting, sackcloth, and -ashes. Mardochai in- formed ue queen thereof^ desiring that she would §0 into t^ king and intercede for her people, he represej^ted the danger to which $he ^ould be exposed to by going into the kin^, without being sent for, contrary to law ; but desired that he and all the Jews in Susan would join in fasting an4 prayer for three days^ and that ^he and her maids would do the same, and then she would venture to go. Accordingly the third day presenting herself before the king, she was most graciously received. &he begged of the king to come, and to bring Aman with ma to a banquet she had prepared: but not opening her mind that day, desu'ed fihe might be honourod with the same company the next day also. Whereupon Aman departed that day joyful ^iid merry ; l>ttt when he saw that Mardochai at the palace gate did not so much as move from the place wherein he was sitting, to shew him any honour, 4fte was exceedingly angry j ^ad returning toh^ Assuerusi house, declared to his wife TCni his friends, that, idth all his riches and glory, he could enjoy no sa- tisfaction, as. long as he heheld that Jew sitting be- fore the kind's gate. Upon this, they advised him to order a gibbet to be prepared fift^r cubits high, and in the morning to request of the king thtitt Mar- dochai might be Irahged upon it^ The king having passed that night without sleep he commanded the chronicle of foimer times to be read to him. When they came to that place, where it was recorded that Mardochai had saved the king's lifcj by detecting the treason of the two eunuchs^ he asked what honour and reward had Mardochai received for this proof of his fidelity. The servants Said none whatsoever. Then the l^ing having en- quired who was in the court, just at the moment that Aman came to desire that Mardochai might be hanged. When he was called in, the king said to him, « What otlght to be done to the man tvhom the « king was desirous to honour? i> Aman supposing that die king would honour no other than himself, answered, « The man whom the kin? desireth to « honour, ought to be clothed vidth the king's appa- «. rel, and be set upon the horse that the kmg rideth tt upon, and have the royal crown upon his head; « and let the first of the king's princes and nobles K hold his horse, and going through the streets of the ^ city, proclaim before him and say. Thus shall he « be honoured, whom the king hath a mind to he- ft nour. And the king said to him; Make haste « and take the robe and the horse, and do as thou « hast spoken to Mardochai the Jew, who sitteth 4^ before the gates of the palace, and beware of 6mit- « tins of those things thoU hast said. » He durst do no otherwise than obejr; and being thus strangely disappointed and modified, he went with a heavy heart to the banquet, which was to be Us last; 94 From the Books of Here the king, after he grew warm with winey* askei the queen what her petition was, assuring her it should be granted, although she should demand one half of his kingdom^ She answered, that her petition was for her life, and for her people, who were given up to be massacred and totally destroy- ed, not excepting those of the king's own family, merely to gratify the cruelty of their enemy. On being asked who this enemy could be, she replied. It is Aman, who is our adversary and inveterate enemy. Upon which the king, oeing exceeding angry, resofved to put him to death ; and when told by one of the eunuchs of the gibbet, Aman had prepared for Mardochai, ordered that he should immediately be hanged upon it. After which Mardochai was advance.d to the place and dignity which Aman had occupied ; and the letters which the wicked man had sent in the name of the king to all the provinces, for the extirpation of the Jews, were reversed by contrary letters. Thus were the people of God preserved from destruction ; their mourning turned into joy ; and the day that had been appointed for the general massacre of them all, was ordered to be kept as a joyful festival by them, and all their posterity* Chap. VIIL— TAe Hisitrry of the People of God after the Captivity. From the Books of Esdras, JVeheniixn^ rid the Ma^ chabees. WHEN the seventy years of the Babylonisfi captivity, foretold by tl).c prophet Jeremias,^^ , were expired, the Lord stirred up the spirit of CyruSy king of the ^Persians, as he had promised by ibe prophet (Isaias, chap, xliv.) to release his people from their captivity, and send them home to Juaea Esdr^tSy JVehemiaSi and the Machahees* 95 with a commandment to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. He also ordered all the vessels of gold aiid silver, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought away from the temple, to be restored to them, to the number of five thousand four hundi'ed vessels. The chiefs that conducted the people back from their captivitv, were Zorobabel, the grandson of Jechonias, who was made governor of Judea, and Josue, or Jesus, the high-priest : and the number of men, who returned with them, amounted in all to forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty. These repairing to Jerusalem to celebrate there the feast of-the tabernacles, erected an altar for the daily sacrifices, and laid the foundations of the temple. But by the opposition of the Samaritans, they were hindered from carrying on the work till the second year of the reign of king Darius (Hystaspes) whom God was pleased to move to favour the building, and to contribute to it. Encouraged by the pro- phets Aggai and Zacharias, they went on pros- perously, and having finished the whole in the sixth year of the same king, made a solemn dedication of it, to the great joy of those who had never seen Che fonner tempie in its glory; whilst it grieved the old men to see how much it fell short in the splendor and magnificence of the other. On this oacasion the Lord sent the prophet Aggai' to com- fort them, with these wonte, chap. ii. '' Who is « left amon^ you, » said the prophet, verse 4, &c., « that saw this house in its first glory ? And how « do ypu see it now ? Is it not as nothing in your « eyes? Yet now take courage, O Zorobabel, « &c., and all the people of the land: for I am « With you, saith the Lord: yet one little while, « anaNjL will move the heavens and the earth, « &c., and the desired of all nations shall come, « and I will fill this house with glory. Silver is d6 From the Books of Eadras, JSehemitUf fye. i ! ^1 i « mine, and gold is mine, saitib the Lord of HolBtsr^ « Great shalTbe the glory of this last hous^, more « than of the first; and iii this place 1 will' give « peace, saith the Lord of Hosts. » All which was verified by the doming of ovtc Lord Jesus Christ. After this, iti the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, (Lonsimanus) Esdras the priest, a iearired scribe in the law of Moses, went up from: Babvlo'n to Jerusalem, with a ^eat number of the ehildreri of Israel, f^nd of the priests, Levites, &c.^ in his conrpatiy : being sent from the king to in- struct and assist the people of God, with a most graciotta decree in their favour, and magnificent presents ^0 the temple. When he eaftie to Jeru- salem he found that many of the people had griev- ously transgressed by their intermarriages wifh strangers and unbelievers, which Was not only abso-^ lutely forbidden by the law of God, but also infinite- ly pernick)us in its consequences. This transgression afflicted the holy priest exceedingly, and he ceased not to lament, weep, and pray prostrate before the temple of God, till there was gathered around him^ an exceeding great number m men, women, aM children, who moved by his example, wept with much lamentation, and unanimously agreed tv enter into a solemn covenant with the Lord their God, to put away their strange wives, and to btf never more guilty of the like transgression. In the twentieth year of the same king Artaxer-* xes, Nehemias, who was his eup-bearer, obtainedf a license from him to go and rebuild tire walls o|[ Jerusalem. In this work, althoi^h he Ikiet witb great opposition from the Samaritans, and other neighbouring natfons, yet he began and carried on the building in spite of them all, and having finished the whole in the short space <^f two md mty days^ the em i^ork, Froi the kin ercise dieobf idolatr evenm by the mainin empire the trui lived. The foretok Gonduc alterat! joyed tl templej after hii till th^ nes. ] selves t pire, at the Get It is the eld< iftforme were ii lemple, to seiz< But hei his hov into th( Girders nSpirit «his p] the History, i^e., qfter the Captivity, d7 the enemies were obliged to acknowledge, in this i^ork, the visible hand of Ood. From this time the Jews lived in peace under the kings of Persia, with full liberty as to the ex*' ercise of their r^lieion; and were more faithful ini the observance of tneir law, and more exempt froni idolatry thaii they ^ver had been before. They even made many proselytes to their religilGin ; and by the opportunity of a great number of th^m re« maining m Babylon and in other parts of the rersian empire, they communicated the knowledge of' the true God, tp tho Gentiles, among ii^hom they lived. The povi^er of th^ t'ersian empire, as Daniel had foretold, was overset by the Oredans, under the conduct of Alexander the Great, who made no alteratton in the idtate Of the Jjews. They still en- joyed the free exerciise of thei^ relijgion, and their temple, both under him, and his (Captains ; who, after his death, parcelled his empire amongst theiii till the days of rang Antiochus, sumamed Ispipha^ nes. During that time they also spread them- selves through all.th^ provinces of the Grecian em- pire, and there Ukewise begun to communicate to the Gentiles the knowledge of the trUe Grod. It is tru6, SeleUcus Philopatoi^, king of Syriay. the eldest son of AntiochUs the Great, upon being informed by one Simon, a wicked man, that therer were immense sums Of money deposited in tiie lemple, sent his commissary Heliodorus with ordersr t6 sei2e upon the \d)ole of it for the king's use. But here the Lord visiblyinterposcd in defence of his house. For Whilst HelioaorUs was entering into tivc treasury with hfs guards, and giving carders for the removal of the money, « the •('Spirit of the Almi^ty save a sreat evidence or «bis presyce, so mat all who j>ad presumed t took the city by storm, and in^the space of Siree days massacred fourscore thousand of the people, made forty thousand prisoners, and sold forty thousand for slaves. He also entered into the sanctuary of the temple, and took away the golden, candlestick, the table of shew-bread, the goldea vessels and ornaments, together with all the treasurer he found in the temple ; carrying away with him DO less than one thousand eight hundred talents. Two years after this he sent ApoUonius with aa. amiy to Jerusalem,.w^o fell guftdcply tti^i^th^ cjtj, , and madea 0e^t2sIaUghte}'prthi^i9^^9> ^odk*thp9^, * spoils, burnt tlieiiiKouSfl) !ieixK>llsh^d;th^>w|^s» 9thil < placed a strong garyigoij jq the caspe^of Sion,, that commanded t|^e»Teiieipl/e| WfilC^JSe^dJ^t %ph)nulk,\ time, a dreadful" &i[£n6oy^uii!e to the V^W^ot fi^fi. : , At length ^ptiochus Epiphanes published his edict, by which he obliged the whole nation of the Jews to renounce the worship and law of God, and to sacri- fice to the idols which he set up in every city,' aiin^. hi Jerusaleu) even the very sanctuary of the Lord, which he profaned with the image of Jupiter, put- ting aU wno refusjcd to comply with these edicts to death without Wrcy. Amon^ the great numbers who suffeited martyrdom by ms persecutions, the most illustrious were, holy Eleazar, and the seven brothers, who with their mother bravely vanquished the worst of torments. 2 Mach. vi. 7. Many others fled away into deserts and mo^mtains, and hid %emselves in saves and dens, to b« ouf Qf the reaci^. 100 The Hiitmy, ^.^ after the Captivity, p£ iikt persecutors. But die Lord, who did nqt forsake his people ii| tibeir eitremity, raised ap Judas Machabsus and his brethren, who gathered together as many as the v could of those HtufX were zealous for the law and the worship of God, and puttii^g iheir whole confidence in him, with a small number of men, gained many fflprious victories over the numerous armies of Antiochus and his successors. Nor did they d^esist till they reco- vered the city and temple out of their hands, regained the free exercise of their religion ; and not long after entirely shaking off the Grecian yoke, became themselves both high priests and sovereign princes of the people; in which dignity they were confinped by tne senate, or sanhedrim, and the whole nation of the Jeiys, to hold it for ever tUl th^ faithful prophet should ariaey (1 Mach. r ■ Apy ^ere route,4-,by Hcrod^ w^ was made king ))i( jhb |loip^i» ;' iU!id«tl^enlQ|(S ^^f^M being taken Viway from* Jndah, the i^reatr 'Shikihl the promised 3f essias came, to reign in the house of Jacc^, thi^ IS, over all the true people of God, kui^ and priest for ever, according to the orde^ of Melchisedec]^. End 0^ the history of the Ofd TeHament^ VAMT THB 8E0ONIN. TBB iiim or OUR LORD JESIUS CHRIST^ Abridged from the Fmr EvangelUts* CHAP. I. pfthe Incamaiiim. ^ the Son of God, for the Re^ demption-,of the World. Tm Birth of John the Baptist. I»u]ce i., TljrO soojier ba4 man fallen froih God by suij J^^ than his ^acious Maker, whose goodness and love for his creatures knows no hounds* was pleasid upon the > spot to promise him a. Redeemer, who should be borakof tne seed of the^ woman, and crush the serpents head, Qen, iii. 15. From that period he frequently repeated the propiise to the patnarchs and prophets, mretelling all the CMpcumstances of his coming*—^ the^ time-^the place^-rthe, fanq^y of which he should be bom— the manner of 1^ life» d^eaQi, &^ together with the dignity of his person^ and his Eternal. Divinity/. The^ world now had lasted four tliousand yeai^> and both Jews and GentUes were in fuU expectation of the birth of the promised Redeemer, from the predictions of tha pi:6phetd> yrhen tli& Eternal Wot4» which waa in 1 o 103 Birihof the beginning yriih God, and by vrhovi God madv the world, the true life, and the lisht that enlkht- eneth every one that comeUi into the world, taking to himself our human nature, was madeJUih, and came to dwell amongst us. The birth of Chnst was preceded by the raira-n culous birth of his precursor, St. John the Baptist, of which St. Luke, chap. i*sgiv^s the following ac- count « There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a, certain priest named Zachary, whose Tofe was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame. Now they had ho soi^, for that Elizabeth waiS barren, and they both were advanced in years. And it came to pass, that while he was executing the priestly omce before God, in the order of his course, it \!iras his lot to offer incense going in^o the temple df the Lord: and all the multi^de of the people were praying with- out at the hour of incense. And there appeared to liim an angel of the Lord, standing oh the right side of the altar of incense. And Zachary seeing him, tvas troubled, and fear fell upon him: but the an- ^el said to him. Fear not, Zachary; for thy prayer is heard; and diy wife Elizabeth shall- bear ^ee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. He shall be great before the Lord, and shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be fiUed witJi the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to- the Lord their God. And he shall ffo before him in. the spirit and power of Elias, that he may tun the hearts of the iathers to the children— to prepare for the Lord aperfect people. » « And Zachary said to the angel, Whereby I Jdhn the. Baptitii loa piay I know this ? for I am an old man, and my win it adyanosd in yean. And the angel answer- ing, said to him, I am Gahriel, who stands before- God, and am sent to speak to thee, and to. bring thee these good tidines^ And behold thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak, until the day wherein th^ese things shall came to pass, because- thou hast not believed my words, which shall be. fulfilled in their time. And the people were waiting ibr Zaehary, and they wondered that he« tarried so long- in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them ; apd they under-^ stood that he had seea a vision in the temple. And he made signs to them, and remained dumo. » « Now after those days his wife Elizabeth con- «eived> and hid herself five mondis, saying, Thue bath the Lord dealt with me in the day» wherein, he hath had regard to take away my reproach, among mcn>. » « And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Naxareth, to a. virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, oT the house of David ; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said to her. Had, full of grace, the Lord is with thee ; bkssed art thou among women : and when shehiid heard,, she was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this uiould be. And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary ; for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forthaSoa; and thou snak call his name Jesus. He shall be p^reat, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David hia father, and he shaU reign in the house of Jaoob for ever, and of his king&m tliere shall be no end- » 104 fiirth of John the Btq^Hst 1 1 « And Mary ssad to the angel, How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come «pon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, i^n^d therefore also the Holy which shall be bom of thee shall be called the Sou of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in ner old i\ge ; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren : because no word shall be impossible with God; And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it 4onei to me according to thy word. » « And Mary rising up in thos^^ days, went^into^ the hilly country with haste, into a city of Judea ; and she entered into the house of Zacjiiary, and siduted Elizabeth. And it came tp pass,, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb; and-^ Elizabeth , was filled with the Holy Ghost : and she cried out with a loud voice, and said. Blessed art thou among wo- men, and blessed is .the fruit of thy womb*. Ai^ whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the. voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the in-^ fant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that haste beloved, because thos<$ things shall; be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. » « And Mary said^ My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savi- our. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid : for behold Trom hei^eforth all ge^ neratioBs shal) call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done neat things to me,~ and holy is his name, &c. Ana Mary abode with her al>out three months, and sh<| leturn^d to her owa house. » j«f»,V h^ as yet unacquainted with the mysterv, was troubledt but being a just man, and not wUling « publicly to expose her, was minded to put her awaypr^ ▼atcly.D l! . I hf/a rt'^f loa Birth pfChmU « But while he thought on these things, hehold the angel of the LQr4 appeared to him in his sleep, saying, Joseph, Son of David, fear not to ta)(e unto thee Mary thy wife ; for that which is con- ceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son ; and thou shalt call his name Jesus [that is, Savioi^r]: for he shall save his peo*- pie from their sins. » « Now it came to pass in those days, (Luke ii.) that; there went out a decree from Augustus Caesar, that the whole world should be enrolled. And all went to be enrolled, every pne into his own city. So Joseph went up from Nazareth to Bethlehein> the city of David, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled there with Mary his espoused wife, who was big with child. And when they were there, her days being ac- complished, she brought forth her Son, an4 wrap- ped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them ia the inn. » « And there were in the same country shepherds watching and keeping their night-watches over their flock. And behold an angef of the Lord stood by them, And the brightness of God shone about them^ and they feared with a very great fear. And the angel said to them. Fear not: for behold I brinff you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to aS the people : for this day is l>om to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you ; you shall find the infant wrapped up in swaddling clothes, and liiid in a manger. And suddenly there was^viththe angel a multitude of the heavenly army, poraising God, and sayings Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. » -r* ff And when the angels w^^e depa^ed vBLi% Birth of Chrki. 101 • heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let usf go over to Betll ^m, and let us see this word' which is come to pc*ss, which the Lord hath shewed to us. And they came with haste ; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant laying in a man^ ger. And seeing they understood that the word had heen spoken to them concerning this child. And they returned glorifying and praising God. And all they that heard wondered. But Mary'^ kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. » « And after eight days the child was circumci- sedj and his name was called Jesus. And when the days of her purification were accomplished^", they carried him to Jerusalem to present him to; the Lord ; as the law prescrihed with relation to the . first-horn. Now there was at that time in Jeru- ' salem a just and devout man, whose name was t Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of 1 Israel. And the holy Ghost was in him. And' he had received a promise from the Holy Ghost, thai' he should not see death, before he ha4 seen the Ch) ist of the Lord. Now he came by the Spirit into f the temple. And wheti his parents brought in th«' child Jesus, to d6 for him according to the custom of the law, he also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace ; because' my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast^ prepared before the face of all people; a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Simeon said to Mary, Behold this child is set for the fall and the rising again of man^ in Israel, and for a si^ which shall be con- triMhcted ; and thy own sot a sword shall pierce, that out of man^ hearts thoughts may be re* Tealed.» 41 ^m at. 108 tf^ise MeiCs Offerings fyd. -.1 Galilee to Jordan, and presented himself to be baptized, but John refused him, saying, « I ought to be baptized by thee, and, comest thou to me? J/^sus said, Sutferitto be so now: for«o it becom-^ eth us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus being baptized, forthwith c i^nipe out of the water, and behold the heavens were ppeii- ed, and the Holy Ghost descended in the shape of a dove ^V^^ him: and lot a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son^, hif whopi,.! an* Well pleased. » . .. • . ; Aft^r his baptism, Jesus was Ud by the Spirit igtg the desert, where. he spent forty days in soli- tiide, fasting, and prayer. At the>.xpiratioa of! K 2 hi 113 testimony of St Johii. h ■ f I ivhi thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining, he it is that baptizeth in the Holy Crhost. And I saw, said lie, and I gave testimony, that he is th^ So«of pod. Two ojTthe disciples of John> hearing from their ^ast^r that Jesjiis was the Lamb of God, presently followed h|m, apd became his disciples ; one of ihem was AtudriiWy whp' ^fprmed his brother Si? pnon, that they had fojciiid mp Messias, and brought him to Je^iis : whpj lookijt)^ upon him, saMl> Thott art Simop, son of Jona, imo|i spalt be palled Ce- phas, that is, Petier, or Rock. The follf>wing day Jesus foundi Fliilip^ who was of tbs $ame town as Andrew and l^pter, and be §aid to bim. Folloiv ^hcu me. Fbilip brpugfit his friend Natname} to )ii^; whom when Jesus saw, he sajd, Beholii a true Israelite, vfi whom there is no guile. ' Nqitha- niel saith to him. Whence knowest thovi f(ie ^ at^sus answered. Before that Philip called tke^ : wlien thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. Natfaa- piel cried out, Ral)|;>i, thou art the Sop of pod, ihou art the king of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, Be|;ause I told thpe, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou believest'; thou shalt see greater tiling!^ than these — ^yea, TIk>u shall see the heayeii ppened,' and the angels of Go4 ascer^ding and d^*. ^cending ^pon the So|i of Man.' ^* ' " '^ •* * ^ " These, with the two sops cf ^ebedee, w^rf th^ first disc^les of Christ, md wiin^ises of his first miracles^ of changing water into wine at the mar-] i'iage feast of Cana. But although th<^y now be?^ )ieved in him, they had not yet left all things elsf. io stick close *to him. This grace was reserved for. |he time when Jesus, walking by the sea of G alliens 94^ Siiooft and Andrew castii^ a net into th^^a^^ 114 Christ goes to JeruBolem, .; I for they were fishermen. And he said to them« Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men : and immediately leaving their nets hehind them, they followed him. And going on he saw other tv o brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in a ship with their father, mending their nets; and having^ called them, they imme- diately left their nets and t^eir father^ and followed him. Some time afterwards, passing again by the sea- side, he saw Matthew, a publican, sitting at the receipt of custom ; and he saith to him. Follow thou me : and rising up, he followed him. Mat- thew made a great feast for him and his disciples ; and several publicans and sinners came and sat down with him : for there werc; many who also followed hun; and when the Scribes and Pharisees murmured at his eating with sinners, Jesus told them, That they that are ill, and not they that are well, stood in need of the physician ; and that he came, not to call the just, but sinners to repent- ance. Chap. VII.-rCAm/ goes up to Jerusalem, John, ii, &c. AFTER the miracle wrought in Cana, Jesus, left Nazareth, and went and dwelt in Ca- DhamAum. And from thence he went up to keep the feast of the pasch, or passover, in Jerusalem. Here he « found m the temple them that sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting ; and when he had made a kind of scoui^e of litUe cords, he drove them all out of thetempfe^ the sheep also and the oxen, and he poured out the changers money, and the tables he overthrew. And be said to them that sold doves. Take these things )ience, and make pot the house of mj itfiaes -^ .J!-*. Christ goes to Jeruidlem, 115 hovLBe of traffic. The Jews on this occasion said to him, What sign dost thou shew us, seeing thou dost these thines ? Jesus said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said. Sic and forty years were spent in building this temple ; and wilt thou raise it up in three days ? But he spoke of the temple of his body. » Iiuring his abode in Jerusalem, he wrought se- veral miracles, by whieh many were induced to believe in him, and amongst the rest, Nicodemius, a noted pharisee, and one of the rulers or magis- trates, who came to Jesus by night, and was in- structed by him, (Concerning the necessity of being bom again of water and the^ Holy Spirit, if he would enter into the kingdom of uOd. He also inculcated to him the wonders ^f the goodness and love of God tO' men, in giving them his only be- gotten Son, that they might not perish ; and that this Son of God was to be lifted up, as the serpent was in the desert, that whosoever believed in him might be rescued from etemel death, and brought to everlasting life. After these things, Jesus came into the land of Judea, with his disciples, where he abode with them, tmd baptized. And as many had resorted to him, it gave occasion of jealousy to the disciples of John, to see their master's glory eclipsed, by the crowds that forsook- him to follow Jesus. But the Baptist told them, that what made them uneasy became to him a subject of joy^ saying, that ho was not the Christ, the true bridegroom of the Church of God, but the friend of the, bridegroom, wha rejoiced to hear his voice ; and that he, Jesus, must ia&rease, but himself decrease. . fi m ! ( 116 ) Chap. Vni.--CAnfl rehtma lo QoHUe, mid pvh^ Hihei hi$ Qotpel ihtre^ andecnfmntU vnlh innu* merM^ Miraele$. Johm iv. Matt, iy, &c. WHEN tberefore Jetus understood that the Phariaeea had beard that Jesus made more disciples, and baptized more than John, Tthougt^ Jesus huniself did not commonly baptize, out his disciples,) he left Judea, and aepartcd again intQ Galilee. In his way, passing through the t«rr^nea of the Samaritans, he came to Jacob's i^ell, near the city of Sichem. Here a woma^ of the city coming to draw water, he too)c occasion to speak to her ofthe living water, thai he should give to them that believed in him, which should become in them a fountain of water, springing up jnto everlasting life; and in conclusion, haying told her th^ history of her whole life, he convinced both her, and jsiany of the inhabitants pf that city, with whom (le re- mained two daysj that he wa^ ^de^d the Saviour, of the world. When he came to Cana of Galilee, a ecrtalii mler, whose son was sick at Cu>harnaum, besought Lim, to come down and heal bis son, who was at the point of death. Jesus said to him, ynless you see signs and T^onders, you believe not. 'the ruler said to him. Sir, come down before iny son die. Jesus. said to him. Go thy way, iky son Iwthk, Then man having believed the wpco which Jesus said tci him, went his wajr ; and as he was going down, his servants met him, and broi^ght word that his son was living. He asked of theiu {he hour where- in he grew better. And they said to him. Yester- day, at the seventh hour, the fever left him. An^ the father knew that it was the very hour that Jesus dsid to him, Tku son Uveths and himself be^ lieved, and his whole house. Jesus afterwards went about all GalHee, teach? Christ eojiftrnia hii Doctrine with Miracles. Ill Hijl vik tbe synagoj^vet , and preacbing the gospel of the kingdom ol God, and healing all manner of sickness, and diseases among the people. And now his fame spread so rapidly thiou^hout all Syria, that thc'^ brought all that were ulflirted with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils, as well as lun.Mtics and paralytics, to be healed by him ; which occaHJoo^d great multitudes from Galilee, fropa DecapoU^, from Jerusale^i^ from Judea, and from beyond t^^ Jordan, to foUon^' him. Amongst the towns of Galilee none were morf. favoured with the miracles of Christ than Caphar- naum, and the neighbouripg towns of Corozain and Bethsaida. Uer^'he begun to preach and east out dcvili^ with authority, to the astonishment pf every one. JHark, i. Qoing out of the syna- gogue into the house of Simon, he healed Sioion's wife's mother in an instant, by commanding the fever to ^f part from her. In the evening 9f the. same day, they bit)Ught al) that were diseased and possessed with devils to him, when the whole city was collected together at the door. *' But by the im- position of his hand^ he healed every one of them. And deviii^ d we. to do with thee, Jesus, Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?. Whereupon Jesus asked their names, which they said was Legion, (for they were- many,) and they besought liim that he would not command them to go into the deep, but suffer them to pass into a herd of swine, that were feeding on the mountains, which he permitted. Whereupon the dfevils going out of the men, went into the swine, and immediately the whole herd, in, number two thousand, ran violently down from- the mountains into the sea^ and perished in the waters. Matt, viii, &c. When Jesus was returned, among the multitude that waited for him^ was Jairus the ruler of the synagogue, who came and fell down at his feet, beseeching him that he would come into his house, for he had an only daughter almost twelve years old, who was dying. Now.it happened, as he went (being pressed by the multitude,) that a cer- tain woman, afflicted by an issue of blood for twelve years, who, after having expended all her substance on physicians, could not obtain any relief, came behind him and touched the hem of his gar- ment, (with a strong faith,) and was inunediately cured. Whereupon Jesus said. Who has touched rae? But Peter and these that were with him, said. Master, the multitudes throng and press upon thee, and dost thou say. Who touched me ? And Jesus said. Somebody hath touched me ; for 1 laiow that a vfctue is gone from me. The woman, seeins; that she was discovered, came trembling and fell down before his feet, declaring before all the peo- ple the reason why she had touched him and M\f ml 190F Oihcr Mtracks^ she was immediately h^s^lecL But he said to lier, Daughter, thy faith nskth mad^ti^ee whole) go th^. way in peace. / While he was yet speaking, there came one who said to the ruler of the synagogue. Thy daugbSter is dead, trouble hmi not. ' But Jesus navipg over- heard him, said to the father of the oiaid^ Fear. not, believe only ands^e shall be safe, * And isrhen he c.amei tp the house, ^ sufiered none to enter« with him, but P^ter, James, 9X^ 4<>hn9 and tho lather and mother of th<^ maidenl ' When they alt wept and nioumed for herV^csaijd, Weep not; the. maiden is not d^ad*, but sleepeth ; ^bi;t they laughed liim to scorn, (nowii^ that ^he was actually (lea^d. But Vhen J[rering, he saiifl, « Go and celate to JoHii '^hat you have heard and seen ; the blind see— the lame walk^— the lepers are i^leansed:^^e dqafhearrT^hedesCd arise again~-the gospel is preached to the poor — ^ajeid lilcssed is h^ yirho shall not be scandalized in me. » And when^ tiie messengers, departed, he spoke to the people cpncerning Johh; decliiripg him > be a prophet; yea, s^d mc>re than^ a, prophet ;. foj; t]^at it was i^tten of him, Behold, t send my qitgelbefore thy facCi who shiaU prepare thy way heifore thee* Ma- |ach. iii* Ana tuat amongst thdse that wiere bom of women, there h^d not arisea a greater. Luke, vu. Shortly afterwards St. John was beheaded by tjhe order of Hero^, at the request of the daughter;. of the wicked Herodias, his brother's wife, who We an implacable hatre4' to him for opposing her incestuous ipam^e. And thus the Baptist felli" ^mai|^rtojusti(:e,tr^th and purity. ^ ^lU^p. X> — Christ chooses his Tu^elv^ Apostles, His Sermon on t1\e Mount, Matt. v. Luke, vi. « TESlJS went out to a mountain where be spent ^3 the lyhole night in the prayer of God, that is to say, in the most fervent pr:iyer. And when the Qay i^tumed, calling his disciples together he chose ivichc of them, whom he named Apostles : Simon. w\ 122 The Serinon' whom he sumamed Peterj and Andifewhis brothciv James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, Jamies the 8ont)f Alpheus, and Simon* Zelotes, and Jadas the brother-of James, and Judas* Iscafiot, who betrayed' him^ And coming down with them, he stood in a plain, where the company* of his disciples, and a great multitude from all Judea as well as from Jerusalem^ andthe sea coast' of Tyre and Sidon, came to hear him; and to be* healed of their diseases. And he cured such as- were troubled with unclean spirits. And all the* multitude sought to touch him; for a virtue pro-- cceded from him, that healed all. » Luke, vi. And here our Lord was pleased to preach that excellent sermon- recorded by the Evangelist, Matt. V, vi, and viij so full of admiralde lessons of christian^ morality. And first, in order to undeceive world- lings with regard to their false notions of a happy life, and to teach hiis followers the true way to- secure to themselves everlasting happiness, he ex^ plains what are commoniy called ute eight Beati-^' tudes : giving us to understand, that neither honours^' riches, pleasures, nor any of theise things of which the world is so fond, can make us happy: but that' the way to be truly happy^ and to secure to our souls a happiness that shall never end, with the livin» Gad, is to b« poor irtspiriti by disengaging our hearts from worldly riches^; to be bumble, by being little in our own eyes — ^to be meek, by sup- pressing and overcoming our passion— -to tiumrn, by a spirit of compunction — ^to hunger and thir8t,hy\ an ardent desire and earnest pursuit after true - christian justice and righteousness — to be merciful and charitable to each other — ^to be clean of hearty by an uprightness and purity in all our intentioni^^ and affections — ^to keep peace with aU, and as far ' ae in our power .to bring all others to peace; and / on the Mount. 1S3 laistiy, to suffer vnth a true^christian spirit, what- ever evils are inflicted on us far justice sake. In the next place, he puts his disciples and all his ministers in mind, lliat they are by their office, and ought to be, by tbeir preaching and lives, the salt of the earth, to season all men with heavenly wis- dom ; and the light of the world ; not to lie md unf> der a bushel, but to be set on a candlestick, to give light to all that are in the house of God, in order that all may be brought to glorify God. And that i£ this salt should lose its savour, it will absolutely be good for nothing, bttt to be cast out, and trodden under foot by all men. He adds, that except our virtue and righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, (by being more solid and internal,) we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. That for this, it is not enough to refrain from the act of murder; but that the passion of anger in the heart, and much more when it breaks out into words of indignation and reproach, endangers the soul's being cast into hell : and that BO offering we can make to God can be acceptable to him, so long as we refuse to be reconciled to our- fieighbour. In like manner, as to adultery y that it is not enough to refrain from the commission of this sin ; for that whosoever looketh on a woman so as to lust after her, hath already committed adultry with her in his heart. Then as to removing the occasions of the sins of this kind, were, they as near or dear to us, even as an eye or an hand, our Lord here assures us, we must resolutely part with them, or lose our souls. In the next place, instead of all manner of profane swearing, he recommends simplicity of speech. Yea, yea; JVo, no; since whatever is more than these proceedeth from evil. L 3 m i M m Ttie Sermon He. also forbids every species of hatrt^d, tnaliee» pr desires of revenge, and c^m^ands us to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate us, and to pray for such as persecute and ^umniate ^s, that we may be true children apd followers of our heavenly Father; and add»: Forgive, and you ^lutll, he forgiven,;, gwe, and it ahall he fitven to you^ good nieaaure andj^iressed down, and shaken together, md running over , shall they gw into yourOosom. ^ukojvi. He proceeds tlian, Matt, vi, to warn us against seeking the applause of men i^ our good works, lest we should lose the^ew^ard of them with God^ Hence he recommends privacy in your alms, prayers, and fastings, lest \ye should lose our reward, by pstentation or vam glpiy. Here also hchath taught: i^s that most excellent of all prayers which we call the Lord^9 Prayer ; aiji^d admoni^ned us to lay up for ourselves treasures, not pn earth, but in heaven; where neither rust nor moth, can consume, nor thieves bi^&ak through aind steal : For where thy: i^^easure is, ssdth he, t/ifire ts thy heart also. As also,' to take care that tibe eye of our intention be always single and pure, b^ looking towards God, since then our^ whole soul shall be in the l^ht, which otherwise shall be all darkness. No one, adds he, can serve two masters, who have. opposite claims : we eannpt serve both Goes^ h\\,t only sandals, for the workman is worthy oC his meat. And when you come into a house, j^jalute it, say^g. Peace be to this house. And if ^ ihat house be worthy, your peace shall ^ovm upon it; but if it be not worthy, your peace sb^ll retun^ iojrOU. '^ '"','.' « Behold I send you as sheep h\ the midst of >volves. ife ye therefore as wise as serpents, aa4 {larmless as doves. But beware of p>^n : for th^y will deliver you up in councils, and they wiU scourge you in their syni^gues, &c. And you $hall be bated by all men for ip y sake. But he that shall persevere to the end, shs^ll be saved. The disciple is not above \m master, iior the servant above his' ld)rd. |f they called the good man of th^ house Belzebub, how oAUch moje them of '^b household? Therefore &ar them not; fornothmg* \s covered that shall not \o reyealed, nor hid ihst fhall no{ be known. « Fear not them that kill the body, and are not ^le to kill the soul ; but rather fear him that caa Commission to preach the Qospel. 12i destroy both body and soul in hell. Are not twf^ ^pari'ows sold for a farthing? and yet not one oi tnem shall fall on the srouna without your Father : the very hairs of your ncad are all nuitibered. Pear not therefore ; better are vou than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess mfe before meuj I "will also confess him before my Father who is irt heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him also will I deny before my father who is in heaven. « He that loveth father or mother rtibre than ine, M not worthy of me: and he that loveth son oi* daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth not me, is not Worthy of me. He that fmdeth his life* fthall lose it ; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. And whosoever shall give to drilik to one of these little ones, a cup of cold water, ortly in the hame of a disciple, Amen, I say to you, he shall not lose his rewatd. « The apostles having thiis received their cointnis-* sion and instructions, went through the towns, preachitig « l^at men should do penance, Mark, vi* And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. Thett t*>oittit)g together to Jesus, when they related to him what they had done and taught, he said to them, Come ye apart into a desert place, afed rest a little ; for there were' so miany coming and going, that they had not so much as time to eat. And going* into a ship, they went to a desert place apart : but the ercrvrd who saw them going, ran flocking thithef on foot from all the cities, and got there before them. » Ml ji)*'! m ''3 % 'Hit ■ i i i? ii « ■\ .1*5*, ( 130 ) Chap. XIII. — Chriit feeds fv^e ihomand toith fith lAtanes and two Fishes, he voaiks upon the Sea^ Matt. xiv. Mark, vi. Luke, ix. John, vi. WHEN Jesufi, comiBK out of the ship, saw the great multitude, he had compassion ott them ; and healing their sick, he spoke to them of the Inngdom of God. The day hein^ now far spent, hisr disciples came to him, saying. This is a desert place, and the hour is now late, send them therefore away into the next villages and towns, that they may buy food for themselves. But he answering, said. Give Jrou them to eat. We have, replied they, but fivff oaves and two fishes ; therefore unless we go and buy food for so great a multitude, even two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be sufficient, that every one of them might take a little. Then Jesus- commanded that they should all sit down by com- panies on the green grass. And they sat do'vvn iiv ranks by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five IcRnves and two fishes, looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them ; aiid hav-' in£ divided the two fishes among them when they all eat, and had their fill, they collected twelve^ baskets full of the fragments that remained ; aitho' the number of those that had eaten, was five thou- sand men^ besides women and children. Jesus then bid his disciples to ffet into the ship,> and go before him over the water, uniilst he dismiss- ed the multitude. But they having witnessed what a miracle he had wrought, said, This is of a truth the prophet that is to come into the world. When" Jesus, tnereibre, perceived that they were about to- take him by force, and make him king, he fled into- the mountain alone, and prayed there. Now about the fourth watch of the night the ship in the midst of th^ sea was tossed by the waves^ TJie Woinan of Canaan^ ^'c. 131 lii wthe n oik of the [it, hi9 place, away ybuy Give itfivff p and mdred t, that Jesus- f com- "vvn iiv ^en he ingup d gave d hav-' 5n they twelve, altho' thou- e ship,* smiss- i what truth Whe» )out to- ed into ;ht the waves> ^or the wind wi\8 contrary.) When Jesus saw them labour hard in rowings he came to them walk- ing upon the water; and when they saw him, beinz terrified, they said, It is an apparition, and cried for fear. Whereupon Jesus immediately said to them, Take courage ; be not afraid, It is Ir Then Peter said. Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee upon the water : and he said, Come. Peter accordiiigly going down out of the ship walked upon the water to come to Jesus. But finding the wind stronff, he became afraid : and when he began to sinkjTie cried out. Lord save me. And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand, took hold of him, and said, O thou of little faith,- why didst thoi> doubt? And when they had sot again' on board the ship, the wind ceased ; and tney presently land- ed safe at the place to which they were going.* Then they that were in the ship came and wor- shipped him, saying, Thou art truly the Son of God, And when they were gone out of the ship, they who knew him ran immediately throughout that whole country, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, wherever they heard he was ; and into what towns, villages or cities he entered, they laid the sick in the streets, and Besought him that they might touch but the bom of his garment; and a& many as touched him were made wh^le. Chap.XIV. — Christ cvres tlie Dmtghter of the Wo-* man of Canaan, and many others : and feeds four Thousand with seven Loaves. Matt. xv. Mark, vii. WHEN Jesus went into the coast of Tyre and Sidon, behold a w;oman of Canaan came after him, crying out, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of Vavid : my daughter is grieviously troubled by a devil; but he answered not a word. Whereupon his (]Usciples came and besought him, saying. Send 'I.-; •i 'iVi ' A 'III \h 1^2 Pour Thousand fed» i { I! !i il her away, tor she crieth after us. I was only senti answered he, to the sheep that were tost of the house of Israel. She nevertheless came up and worshipped him, saying Lord help me. But he anstvering said j It is ii6t good to cast the bread of the children to the dogs. Yea^ Lctd^ replied she, hut the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. Whereupon Jesus said to her, O woman^ ^reat is thy faiths bn it done to thee as thou wilt: and her daughter was cured from that hour. When he departed from those coasts, and came i»< Chap. XV.^^Chirst cures the blind Man at Beth'^ saida, Peter's Confession: He is rebuked for (mposing Christ's Passion. The necessaity of Self- Denial, Matt. 3rvi. Mark, viii. WHEN Jesus came to Bethsaida^ they brought a blind man to him, and besought him to touch him. Whereupon taking the blind man by the hand, and leading him out of the town, he spit upon his eyes, and laying his hands on them, asked hun if he saw any thing? The man, looking up, said) I see men like trees, walking. Jesus after^ wards laid his hands again upon his eyes; and he began to see, and was restored perfectly to his sight, and he bid him tell nobody* « After this when Jesus went with his disciples to the towns of Cesarea Philippi he asked them on the way, Whom do men say the son of Man is? to which they replied, Some say thou art John the Baptist, oihers £lias, and others Jeremias or one of the prophets. But, saith Jesus, Whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Uving God, Jesu9 answering him, said, « Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; because flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father who la in heaven. And I say to thee, Thou art Peter, {Cephas, a Rock,) and upon this rock I will build h^ church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And to thee will I give the keys of the kiagdom of heaven; and whatsoever M ' . ; f'S 134 The Transfyuration, i 1;* thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. » . , Then Jesus began to tell his disciples openly that \ke must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients, and the scribes, and the chief priests, ^tid be put to death, and that on the th\|pd day he should rise again. Wliereupon Peter began to rebuke hSiii, saying, Lordy he it far from thee : — this shall not he unto thee. But Jesus turning about, and seeing his disciples, said to Peter, Get thee be- hind nie, Satan, (which name signifies adversary, and is here given to Peter for opposing the passion of Christ,) because tiiou savourest not the things Uiat are of Ood, but the things that are of men. <( Then JtKsus said to his disciples, If any man Ml ^wae ai(ter me, let him deny himself, and take up hw fcrosSj and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and he that shall lose bis life for my sake shall find it. For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the wh6le world, and lose his owu soulf Or what shall a man give in exchange iSor his soul ? For the Son of Man shall come in the flory of his Father, With his ilngels ; and then will e render to every man accordmg to his works. » ii - til ' II Chap. XVI. — Christ is transfigured; he cures the lunatic Child; pays the Didrachma; inculcates the JSTecessity pf Humility ; and ffrmunmces his Woes against SeandaL Matt, xvii, xviii. Mark, ix« Luke, iXtf TH£N Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and weAt up into a high mountain to pray. And whilst he was praying, he was trans- figured before them. « And his face did shine as the -Sim; and his garments became glittering and e^^eeding white as snow, so as no ful'er on earui can The Lunatic cur^» 135 ^ake tv'bite. And beholt there appeared to them Moses, and Elias, in glory, talking with him ; and they spokeiofhis decease that he should accomplish in Jerusalem* Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here : if thou wilt, let us make here three taberne^cles, one for thee, one for Moses, and on<9 for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them ; and lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying. This is my beloved ^on, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And the discipleS; hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraiX And Jesus came and touched tne^m, and said to them. Arise, and be not afraid. And when, they lifted^, up theip ley^s, they saw no man but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, say- ing, Tell the vision to no man, till the Son^of j Man be risen from the dead* « And vrhen he was come to the multitude, there came to him a man, who, falling do\vn on his knees before him, said, Master, have pity on, my son, for he is a lunatic, and sUffereth much : for he falleth often into the fire, and often into the water : and I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. And Jesus asked, How long time is it since this hath happened to him? And he said, From his infancy. But if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. And Jesus saith to him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And immedi* ately the father of the boy crying out with tears, said, I do believe; Lord, nelp thou my unbelief* Now when they brought the child to Jesus, imme- diately the spirit troubled him ; and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming.. Then Jesus, seeing the multitude running together^ i^huked the unclean spirit, saying, Thou deaf and ^'- ■■ M2 ■ ' 136 The Didmchma paid. dumb spirit, I command thee, Go out of him, and •enter no more into him. Then crying out, and greatly tearing him, he went out of him * and lie became as one dead, inasmuch as many said. He is dead. But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted bim up, and he arose, and the chila was cured from that hour. Then the disciples asked Jesus private* ly, Why could we not cast him out? Jesus said, because of your unbelief ^ adding at the same time, that this kuid is not cast out but by pr^ayer, and fasting. « And when they were come to Caphamaum, they that received the didrachmas, » (a taxofkalfa thekel or stater, for the service of the temple^) « came to Peter, and said to him, Doth not your master Eay the Didrachma? He said. Yes. And when e was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying. What is thy opinion, Simon ? Of whom do tl:^ kings of the earth take tribute or custom? Of their own children or of strangers? And he said. Of strangers. Jesus said to him. Then the children are free. But that we may not scandalize them. Go thou to the sea, and cast in a hook; and that fish which shall first come up, take; and when thou hast opened its mouth, thou shalt find a stater: take that, and give it to them for me and thee. ft At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, sayings Who, thinkest thou, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ? And Jesus calling to him c. little child, set him in the midst of thein, and said. Amen, I say to you, Unless you be eonverted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the king- dom of 1 eaven, tVhosoever therefore shal,i hum- ble himself as this little child, he is the great- est in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth inc. But he that shall give scandal to one of theife 27w Woes against Sccmdal. 187- III little ones,, that believe in me, it were better for bim that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals. For it Tuust needs be, (considei:ing the. wickedness and corrup- tion of men,) that scandals come: but neverthelesBi, woe to that man by w^om^ the scandal cometh. « And if thy hand, or thy foot, or thy eye scanda- lize thee, that is, if any one as near or dear to thee as a hand, or a foot, or an eye„ cause thej? to offend God, thou must at all events part., with the occasion of thy sin, or expect to be cast into hell, where the w;orm never dietn, and the fire is n^ver quenched. » Mark, ix. « Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you; tlvat their angels in heaven always see the face, of my. Father wlio.is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. And it is not the \yill of your Father who i^ in heaven, that one of these Ij^tle ones should perish. ■ «_If then thy brother shall offend against thee, (or, give the scandal by his bad example,) go and rfeprove him by fraternal correction, between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shall gain thy .brother. ' But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more. And if he will not hear them, tell the Church. And if he will not hear the Church, let liim;be to thee as the heathen and the publican. Amen, I say to you. Whatsoever }rou shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in leaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earthy shall be loosed also in heaven. » <4! Ma : ' V \: -^_-y^ .%■ ( IS8 > ; i Chap. XVU.^^Chmt tends forth his seaenty-iijoo. 'Disciples: he invites all to himself; and recom" mends universal Charity ^ by the tUxample of the good Samaritan. Luke, x. AFT£R these things the Lord appointed other seventy-two; and sent them two and two be- fore his face,, into every city and place, whither he himself was. to come. He gave them also the like instructions, as he before had given to the twelve, with the like power of healing, and casting out: devils. Adding woe to those cities that would not receive them. And telling them. He that hearcth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, des-- piseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth himt that sent me. « And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, Lord, the devils are also subject to us in thy name. And he said to them, I saw Satan as lightning^ falling from heaven. Behold I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and' iipo^^ll the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt yo^. But yet rejoice not in this^ that spirits are 8ubJ|jeet to you; but rejoice in tins, that your names ^tr^ written in heaven. « In that same hour he rejoiced in (ihe Holy Ghost, and said I give thanks to thee, O. Father^ Lord of heaven ana ^arth, that thou hast hxd.U^ese things from the wise ai^d Imowing, and hath reveal- ed th^in tp little ones. Yea, Father, for so it hath seemed good in thy sight , All thing are delivered, to me by iny Faiber. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father; nor doth any one know the Father but the Son ; and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Com^ to me all you that labour (Matt, xi,) and are heavy laden, and Iwill refresh you. Take up, n^y yoke upon you, and learn of f»e, because I $ua m^ek ana humble pf heart; uxA ' * Hie good Samaritan. tsa i:^ enty-iWKf I recom-' le of the id other two be- dther he the like twelve, ting out: )uld not heareth m, des-- ieth himi saying, ly name, ightning^^ 'en you ns, and" ig shall : spirits at your Holy Father, dtiiese revjeal- it hath livered, eth the ow the on will labour refresh 5am of you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet, and my burden is light. « Then turning to liis disciples^ he said, Luke, x, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see. For I say to you that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see, and have not s^en them: and to near the things that you heai', and have not heard them. « And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what shall I do to possess eternal lifer But he said to him, What is written m the law? How readest thou? He answermg said. Thou shait love the Lord thy God ivitk thy iphole hemif and with thy whole soul, and with alt thy strength, and toith all thy mind: and thy neigh" Jbour hat shall I dp, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will-puU do^vn niv bams, and will l^uild greater: and in^o them w^l 1 gather all tilings that are grown to me, ai|>d :my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou .hast rr^^ch goods laid up . for many yearsi, take thy rest, eat, drink, and make good cheer. But God said to him,. T^Q^. fool, this flight do they require thy soul of thqp;' and whose shall those things be which thbuiiastpro^^ide^^?. So is he that laycth up treasure for himself, aii(i is, not rich towards God. S. « Fear not little flock: for it hath pleased your . F'lther to give you a kingdom. Sell what you pos- sess, and give alms. Make to yourself bags which, grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faueth i^ot: where ho thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 4. « Let your loins be girt, (by a restraint of your ?assions and lusts) and lamps burning in your handa jy the blight example of your virtues,) and be you to hia Disciples, 141 like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh,- they may immediately open to him. blessed are those servants whom the lord when he cometh shall find watch^' g. Amen, 1 say to you, that he wiU gird himself and make tJiem sit down to meat, and passing will minister to them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or il' he shall come in the third watch, and fmd them so, blessed are those servants. But this know^c, that if the house- holder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broke open. Be you then also ready; for at what hour you think not, the Son of Man will come. And what [ say to you, I say to all. Watch. » 6. Christ also inculates the absolute necessity of the virtue of penance, that is, of a hearty repent- ance for our sins, and a thorough conversion of the soul from sin to God. « Think yor, » saith he, Luke, xiii, « that those Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices,, were sinners abpve all the men of Galilee, because they 'su0ered such things ? I say to you, No; but except you be peni- tent, you shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe, and slew them. Think you that they also were debtors above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem ^ I tell you, No : but except you do penance, youshall all likewise perish. >i 6. He also perpetually inculates the necessity and efficacy of prayer, and a pious importunity and perseverance in prayer, witli a strong faith and confidence in God. Luke,^ xviii. « He spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray , and not faint, saying. There was a judge in a c( rtain city, who feared not God, nor regarded roan. And ^ere wa^ a certain widow in that citT ; and sh^ li m i'' !< «('; 1)111 it IE ^3 Uil Other Lissons of Chmi came to him, saying, Avenge me (that is, do me justice,) of my adversary. And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within him- self, Althoup^h I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because ciiis widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me out. , And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge snith. And will pot God avenge his efpct, that cry io him day and night P I say to you he will quickly avencq them. But when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find, think you, faith upon earth? » Where he gives us to understand, that it is the weakness of av^fait^. that is the cause why we are so lukewarm in our prayers; as this luke- warmncss is the cause why our prayers are notheard, and consequently is the source of all our miseries^ 7. He teaches us also by the parable of the Pha- risee and the Publican, Luke, xvi^i, that o\ir prayer shall then be effectual, when it is presented oefore the throne of God by a contrite and hunible heart. As it was in the case of the publican, who standing a far off from the alter of God, not daring so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven, and striking his breast, with tliis short, but fervent prayer, O Gorf, be tnerciful to mta sinner ^ was justified upon the spot i whilst the Pharisee, full of conceit of himself, and despising all others, carried nothing home from the temple but his own condemnation* > 8. Another necessary condition of our prayer to be heard, is, that we are in charity with all the world. « When ye shall stand to pray, (Mark, xi,) forgive if you have ought against any man ; that your Father who is in heaven, may forgive you also your sins. But if you will not forgive, neither will your Father that i^ in heaven forgive you your sins. » As an instance of which, in the parable of the king who would take an account of his sery ants. Matt* to his Disciplesi 143 xviii, we find that this great master delivered up to eternal torments the servcnt that owed him ten thousand talents, because he would not forgive his fellow servant a debt of one hundred pence. « So also, saith our Lord, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forcive not every one his brother, » (not in profession ol words only, but) /row your hearts. 9. Chri-t also frequently inculcates the danger to Which men are exposed by riches, more especially when they set their hearts upon them; or by occa- sion of them, lead a sensual, voluptuous and idlR lifei of which he gives an instance, Luke, xvi. « There was, saith he, a Certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen; and feasted sump- tuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his g&te full of sores, desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; and no one did give him: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. — Now it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was van-ied by ^he angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died, and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosdtn. And he cried and said. Father Abraham, have mercy on txie, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to eool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said to him, Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy life time ^nd, likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tor'- mented. And besides all this, between us and you there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, nor from thence come hither. And he said, Then, father, I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send him to my father's housie: for I have five brethren, that he may testify . Ill jf Mil 144 Other Lessons of Christ t ^'C. to Ihem, lest they also come to this place of tor- ments. And Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. But he said, No, father Abraham, but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance. And he said to him. If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if one rise af^ain from the dead. » 10. Many other great lessons of life Christ has delivered in parables. Particularly the necessity of our corresponding mth the calls and graces of God; in the parable of the marriage feast, Matt, xvii, and of our bringing with us the wedding garment of divine charity. The esteem and afiection we ought to have far the reign of his grace and divine love in our souls ; so as to be ready to part with all things else for the purchasing of this treasure, Matt. Xiii* The disjpositions with which we ought to hear the word of God, and to bring forth fruit by it, in the parable of the sower. Matt. xiii. The necessity of our labouring till the end of our life in cultivating the vineyard of our souls, if we would secure the wages of a happy eternity. Matt. xx. The making to ourselves friends of the mammon of iniquity, bv works of mercy and liberal alms, that when we shall fail, they may receive us into the happ^ mansions of eternal life; in the parable of the unjust steward, Luke, xvi. In like manner the necessity of our watching to keep the lamps of our faith burning, "with the oil of charity and good works, if we would not be eternally excluded, with the foolish virgins, from the nuptials of the Lamb, Matt. xxv. In fine, the good use we are bound to make of all the talents we are intrusted with,, and the dreadful conse- quences of our burying them in the earth; in the parables of the talents, Matt, xx, &c.) and of the {K>unds, Luke, xix. ( 145 ) ^ Chap. XIX.— TAe merctful Dedlingt of Christ vnth Sinners, The Parable of the lost Sheep, and of the Prodigal Luke^ vii, xv. TH£ prophets in giving the character of Christi take i^articular notice of his wonderful meek- nesi and loving kindness to poor sinners. The same evidently appears by man^ mstances tliroughout the gospel, hoth in his doctrine and his practice; and this same spirit he recommended to his disciples, Luke, ii^, when Jaines and John proposed the cailiii^ down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans, who had refused to received him. And he « turning rebuked them, saying, Tou know not of what spirit you are. The Son of Man came not to destroy, but to save souls. » And so remarkable was this mer- ciful disposition of our Lord towards poor sinners, that one of the greatest objections that his enemies made to his conduct, was that he was a friend of publicaifis and sinners, i To make a trial how far he would carry this his favour to notorious sinners, that they might have an occasion of accusing him, they brought to him one day, when he was teaching in the temple, a woman taken in adultery, and said to him, John, vi^ « Master, this, woman was even now taken in ddultery: now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest thou? Jesus inade no answer; btit stoop^ down, and Wrote with his finger on the ground.; And when th^ continued a^ping him, he lifted up hiposelij ana said to them, He thiat is without sin tuaiong ou, let him first cast a stone at her. And again e stooped down and wrote on the ground. %ut they hearing this, went out one \xj one, beginning at the eldest, and Jesus alone reaiiained, and the wo- man standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up bimsetf, said to her^ Woman, wher« are they that i I ■iS^\ 146 TJie Prodigal Sm, i ,- • Acctised thee.^ Hath no man condemned thee? And she said, No man, Lord. And JesUs said, Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more. » But Christ did not only favourably receive and absolve poor sinners whom he had attracted to him- self in his mercy ; he also advanced them, by his grace, to a high degree of sanctity; of which we nave an illustrious instance, Luke, vii, in that happy penitent, \vho, hearing that our Lord was at meat in the house of a Pharisee, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and standing behind at his feet, began to wash them with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and she kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. On which occa- sion 'the Lord was pleased to declare, that many sin« w^ere forgiven her, because she had loved much ; and sending her away, absolved her from all her sins. Now this penitent sinner is belived to have been Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils; and who from this time, with other holy women, attended upon our Lord in his preach- ing, ministering to him of her substance, and keep- ing close to him both in life and death, with ah in- comparable love. In justification of his merciful dealings with sin- ners, the Lord proposed, Luke, xv, to the Scribes and Pharisees who murmured at him, the following parable : « What man is tKere of you, who hath' a hundred sheep, that if he lose one of them, both not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost until he find it? And when be hath found it, doth he not lay it upon his should- ers rejoicing: and coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, Rejoics with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost? I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in keaven, before the angels of God, upon one sinner The Prodigai Son, 147 ^oing penance, more than upon ninety-nine just, who need not penance. He said also, « A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father. Give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his sub- stance. And not many days after, the younger son gathering all together, went abroad into a far country; and there wasted his substance with living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that counti^y, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed his swine. And he would fain have filled his. belly with the husks which the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him. And returning to himself, he said, fjpw matiy hired ser- vants in my father's house have plenty of bread, and I here perish with hunger? I will arise, and I will go to my father, and say to him, Father I have sinned against heaven, and before tliee : I am not ' now worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And rising up, he went t6 his fatheir. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, {^nd running to him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee : I am not fiow worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the first robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hands, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and make merry. Because this my son was dead, and is come to life : he was lost, and is found. And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field : and when he came, and drew nigh to the house, he heard music N2 !i n 148 Tlie Pharisees constdt to destroy Christ. fflid dancing: and he called one of the servants^, anci askedj What these things meant? And he said to him, Thv brother is come, and thy father hath; kill- ed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe.' And he was angry, and would not go in. His father therefore going out, began to entl'eat him. And he answeringj said to his father. Behold for so many years do I serve thee, and I have never trans- gressed thy commandment; and yet thou has*^ never given me a kid to make merry with my friends; but as soon as this thv son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him: the fatted calf. But he said to him. Son, thou art always with me, and all I have is thine. But it was nt that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found. Chap. XX. — Christ is persecuted hy Hie Jews: they seek his Death. OUR Lord came to his own, that is, among hi$ chosen people ; and his own received him not. He came to impart to them everlasting life; and they chose to persecute him unto death. And first his countrymen the Nazarehes, as we have seen above, sought to cast him headlong down a preci- pice; but he passing through the midst of them went his way. Luke, iv. Then the Pharisees, his perpetual enemies, upon occasion of working mira- cles on tlie sabbath-da;f, Mark, iii, « made a consul- tation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. But he quietly retired with his^ disciples to the sea. After this some of them came to him, Luke, xiii, saying. Depart, and get thee hence; for Herod hath a mind to kill thee. But he only said to them. Go, and tell that fox. Behold I cast out d«yils, and do cures to-day and to-morrow^ The-PIuaisees consult to desbny Chrut. 14d and the third day I am consummated. Nevertheless, t must walk to-day, and to-morrow, and the daT following; because it cannot be that a prophet perish but of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kill- est the prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I hive gathered thy children, fis the hen doth her chickens under her wings,, and thoii wouldst not^ Behold your house shall be left to you desolate. And I say to you that you shall jttot see me, till the time come when you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. » But the most violent persecutions which our Lord had to endure, were from the jews of Jerusalem. First, upon occasion of hisf curing on the sabbath- day, the infirm man at the pool of Bethesda ; and bidding him take up his bed and walk, John, v, of which they pretended to make a capital crime. Bat when, in defence of what he had done, he told them, « My Father worketh until liow, and I work; they SO^ji? ■'' *he more to kill hhn, because he did not only brc i '6 Sabbath, but also said Qod was his Fa- ther, making himself equal to God, » This persecution was the cause of his retiring out of Jerusplem, and walking only in Galilee, John^ yii, till, upon occasion of the feast of the Taberna- cles, he went up privately ; and when the solemnity was half over, he began again to teach in the tem- ple: inviting all to come to him, to drink of the water of life. Upon this the magistrateis sent offi- cers to apprehend him. But as (lis time was not yet come, they had no power to meddle with him; and returning to their masters, declaring that never did man speak like tim mari^ The following day Jesus taught again in the tem- ple, John, viii, saying, « I am the li^ht of the world. He that followeth me, walketh not m darkness, but 9hall have the Ught of life. » Here the Pharisees 150 Ciives Sight to the Blinds contradicted him; and ceased not to oppose his doctrine*, till upon his saying to them, « Abraham your father rejoiced that he might s^e my day: he saw it, and was glad. And before Abraham was made, 1 anti.-t-Thcy took up stones to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, (he made himself invisible to them,) and went out of the temple. His giving sight to the man bom blind, John, ix, on the Saddath-day, was a new occasion of offence. But their rage against him was more increased, when, after telling them, John, ^, that he was the door of the sheepfold, and the good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, he added, « My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and tl^ey follow me. And I give them eternal life; and they shall not perish ibr ever, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. That which my Father hath given me, is greater than all: and no one can snatch them out of the hand of ipy Father. I and my Father - are one. They took up stones to stone him. And Jesus said to them. Many good works I have shewed you from my Father; for which of these works do you stone ine? The Jews answered. For no good work do we stone thee, but for blasphemy; and be- cause that thou, being a man maketh thyself God. Jesus answered, Is it not written, I said you otr Gods? If he called them Gods to whom the word of God was spoken, (and the scripture cannot1^« brok- en,) do you say of him whom the Father hath sane- tiiied and sent, into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If 1 do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you will not believe nje, believe the works; that you may know and believe, that the Father is in ine, and I in the Father. They sought tl^erefore to ^ lake him: but he escaped out of their H^nds, andi yftnt away beyond the Jordan, and abode there^ n ( IM ) Chap. XXI. — Christ raiseih Lazarus to Lije% John, xi. « HMTE read, Luke, x, that Jesus entered into at If ¥ certain^ town, and that a woman whose name was Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister whose name was Mary; who also sat at the feet of the Lord, and heard his words. But Martha was busy about much ser^ng; and she stood and said. Lord) hast thou no care that my sis- ter hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her, that she may help me^ And the Lord answering said to her, Martna, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. But one thing is ne- cessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her. » Now this town, where' these holy sisters livedo wi^h their brother Lazarus, and had the happiness sometimes to entertain our liOrd, was Bethania, near Jerusalem. And wliilst he was absent, at the distance of two days journey, beyond Jordan, La^ jzarus, was taken with a grievous sickness. The sisters then sent to Jesus,, saying, « Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick., Jesus said, this sick- . ness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it. After this he staid in. the sanie place two days. And then he said to his disciples, Our friend Lazarus is asleep; but I ffo, that I may wake him. « Now when he arrived at Bethania, he found tjiat hs had been four days in the grave. And many of the Jews were come thither from Jerusaleni, to comfort the sisters. Now Martha hearing that Je- sus was come, went out to meet him, and said to him. Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had, not died. But now also I know, that whatsoever thou w^it ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus. ^id to her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha 15S Lazarus raised from the Dead. iMdth to him, I know that he shall rise again in th<{ resurrection at the last day. Jesus said 1o her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that helieveth in ine, although he he dead, shrill live; apd everjrone £hat Hveth and helieveth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? She saith to him. Yes, Lord; I have heUeved that thou art Christ, the Son of the living Crod, who art come into this world. « When she had said these things, she went and palled her sister Mary; who arose quickly, and com- ing to the place where Jesus was,' seeii^ him) fell clown at his feet, and said, Lord, if thou hadst heeu here, my brother had not died. When Jesus there* fore saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her weeping, ne groaned in the spirit and troubled himself, and i^aid. Where have you laid him? They said to him. Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. « The Je>vs therefore said. Behold, how he love4 him. But some of them said, Could not he that opened the eyes of the man bom blind, have caused that this man should not die ? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, con^eth to the sepulchre. Now St was a cave ; and a stone was laid over it. Jesus isaith, Take away the stone. Martha saith to himj Lord, by this time he sdnketh, for he is of four days. Jesus saith to her, Did Inot say to thee, that if thou wilt beheve, thou shalt see the glory of. God. So they took the stone away. Apa Jesus lifting up his eyes, said. Father, I give thee thanks, that thou hast heard me, and I know that thou )iearest pie always; but because of the people that istand about, have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. When he had said those things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And presently he that had beei^ dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding bandsi ia!nth« ier, I am eveth iii reiy one die for m, Yes, the SoQ orld. rent and ndcom- lim, feU idt been s there- re come irit and rou laid :• And le love4 he that caused eaeaih Sow Jesus to himj of four thee, lory of [ Jesus banks, t thoU lethat jelievc 1 those come I came bandS| Chrisfs last Journey to Jerusalem. 15$ and his face was bound about with a napkin. Je^^ sus said to them, Loose him, and let him go. « Many therefore of the Jews who were come to Mary and Martha, a|)d had seen the things that Je-. sus aid[, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Je- sus had done. So the chief priests and the Phari- sees gathered a council, and said. What do we, for this man both many miracles? And if we let him alone so, all men will believe m him; and the Ro-, mans will come, and take away our place and na-. tion. V Caiphas, who was the high priest that year, suggested to them that it WuS expedient for them, that one man should die for the people, that the whole nation might not perish. And upon this they came to a fixed resolution to put him to death. Chap. XXII. — Chrisfs last Journey to Jerusalem, He gives Sight to the Blivd at Jericho: is enter*, tained thereby Zacheus, His supper at Bethania^ Luke, xviii, xix. John, xii. JESUS retired upon this occasion into a country near the desert. But upon the approach of the. solemn feast of the pasch, « he took unto him the twelve, and said to them, Behold we go up to Jeru- salem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered to the Oentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon; and after they have scourged hum, they will put him to. death; and the third day he shall rise again. An^ they understood none of these things. « Now when he drew nigh to Jericho, a cei-tain. blind man sat by the way side begging; And when he heard Uie crowd passing by, he asked what this, meant? And they told hmi, that Jesus of Naza- i^efh was passing by. And he cried out, Jesus, i^oi\ 154 ChmVs tost Joffjrney to Jerustdenu of David, have mercy on me. And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace. But he cried out much more, Son of David, have mercy on me. Then Jesus standing, commanded him to b«^ brought to him. And when he was come near, he asked him, What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said, Lord, that I may see. And Jesus said to him. Receive thy sight; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. ' « And entering in he walked through Jericho. And behold there was a man named Zacheus, who was the chief of the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus, who he was: and he could not for the crowd, because he was low of sta- ture. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore-tree, that he might see him; for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said to him, Zacheus, make haste and come down; for to day I piust abide in thy house. And he made haste and came down, and received him with joy. And when they all saw it they murmured, saying. That he was fone to be a guest with a man that was a sinner, lut Zacheus stood, and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor: and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I restore him four fold. Jesus said to him, this day is sal- vation come to thy house; because he also is a son of Abraham. For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. » Going out fronx Jericho he gave sight to two other blind men. Matt. xx. And proceeding in his jour- ney, « he came to Bethania, six days^ before the pasch. John, xii. And they made him a supper there, in the house of Sim^n tbe leper, and Martha QhrUt et^erijig into Jerusalem, 1^9, served: but be told for a memorial of her. A great multitude therefore of the Jews, John, vii, knew that he was there; and they came not for Jesus sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also; because many of the Jews by reason ofhim went away and believed in< Jesus. » Chap. XXIII. — Christ enters Jerusalem riding upon an Ass» Matt. xxi. Mark, xi. Luke, xix. John, xii- •-« ^^N the next day a. great multitude that was \^ come to the festival, hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, went forth to me*st him m h branches of palm-trees in their hands. Anc' when he was come to Bethpbage, he sent two of his dis- 156 Chrtit entering into Jerua^m' ciples, sajing, Go ye into the viUace that is ovec against you, and immediately you snail i^d an ass tied, and a colt idth her; loose them, and hring them to me: and if any man shall say any thing to you. say ye, That the Lord ha^ nfsed of them; and fortnwith he will let thein go. « The disciples did as Jesus had commanded them; and they brought the ass and the cplt, and laid their garments upoi) them, and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in th^ way; and others cut down boughs from the trees, and screwed them in the way. And "when he was now coining near the descent of mount Olivet, the whole multitude of his disciples began with joy to praise God with a loud voice, for all the inighty works they had seen, » [particularly for that wonder which most of all engaged their attention, of his calling Lazarus out of his monument,] « and they cried put, Hosanna to the son of David; Bless- ed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord : Ho- eanna in the highest. » Ai^d here, upon occasion of certain Gentiles who desii^ed to see our Lord, John, xii, Jesus said, « The hour ^'com^ that the Son of Man shall be glori- fied. Amen, Amen | say to you, Unless the grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, itself remain- eth alone; but if it die lit bringeth for^ much fruit. He that loveth his lif^ shall Ipse it; and he thaC hateth his life in this world^ Jteepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister he. If any man minister to me, him wil^ my father bonour. Now is my soul troubled. 'And '^^hat shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this ciAUse came I to this hour. Father, glorify thy name. A voice therefore came from heaven : I have both globed it^ and I will glorify i^ again. Christ entering into Jerusalem. 15Y M pvet 1 an as« c| bring thing to n; and nanded >lt, and him sit id their boughs • And mount began all the for that :ention, I « and Bless- I: Ho- ss who «Thc glori- ^ grain imain- I fruit. e that^ b life follow inister Cather. what But lorify iven: igaifl. The multitude then that stood and h^ard, said, That it thundered. Others said, An angel spoke to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not be- cause of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judg- ment (^e trial and conden^nation,) of the world: now snail the prince of tbif world be caist out. And I, if I be lifted up from llie eartih, (by the death of the cross,) will draw all things to myself. Yet a little while the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness may hot over- take you. Whilst you have the l^ht, believe in the light, that you may be t!he children of tight. « And when he dr^w near to Jerusalem, Luke, six, seeing the city, he wept over it, saving, If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, thei things that are for thy peace; but now they are hidden from thy eyes. Ffir the days shall come upon thee; and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone ; because thou hast not known the t^ne of thy visi- tation. « And entering into the temple, he begs^n to cast out them that sold and that bought ther«, raying to them. It is written. My house is the house offnraSfi^: but you have made it a den of thieves. And ih^, blind and the lame came to him in the templi^ Matt, xxi, and he healed them. And he was teach- ing daily in the temple. But in the evenh^ he^ went out with the twelve to Bethania. And the chief priests and the rulers of the pe'^nle sought tot, destroy him: and they found not what to do to him; for all the people was very attentive to hea^ ^« 9 - v5 ■ i i ( 158. X Chap. XXIV.— T^« ^cts of the four last Days ^ 'CkmVs Life. Matt. xxi. MaA, xii. Luke, xx. « fW\ HE morning after his entry into Jercisalein, JL when he was returning into the city from Bethania, lie was hungry; and seeing a fig tree by the W9y side, he came to it, and found nothing on it but ^eares only; and he saith to it, May no fruit grow on, thee henceforward for ever. And immedi- ately the fig-tree withered away to the very roots. [As a figure of the reprobation of the unbelieving Jews.] And lyhen he was come into the temple, and was teaching there, the chief priests and anci- ents of the peopte^ (who sought his life,) came up to him.- And he spoke, to them in parables. « There was a^ certain, householder, who planted a vineyard, and mad^ a hedge round about it, and dug in it a wifie-press, and: built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen; and went into a strange coun- try. And w;henithe time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants t0;the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it. !Qut they laid hands on. his servants, and one the.\ beat,, anpther they killed, another they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more than the former; ami they did to tfiem in the like manner. And last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son , But when., the hubandmen saw the son, they said amon^ themselyesj This is the heir; come let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance. And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him*/ When there^ fore the Lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to these husbandmen? He will bring those evil men to an evil end: and he wi)l let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season. « Have you never read in the scriptures. The stone %{iich tJie builders rejected, the same is become the head i, XX. Jalem, ffrom ree by inar on fruit roots. ieving mplc, anci- He up Tlie first and greatest Ccmmnndtixent 1 59^ aftlyi comtr? By the Lord this haih been done, and it is tbonderful in ovr eyes. Therefore I ?ay to you^ The kingdom (the Church,) of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof. And whosoever shall fafl on this stone shall be broken : but on whomsoever it shall fall it shail erind him to powder. Now the chief priests and rharisees heai ing these thincs^ 'would have laid hands on him, bti; they feared the multitude, because they held him as a prophet. «f Then they sent to nim some of their aisciples,^ Matt, xxii, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carcst thou for any man; for thou dost hot regard the person of m n. Tell u& therefore what dost thou thmk, Is it lawful to give tribute to C»sar, or not? But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said, Why do you tempt me, ye hypo- crites? Shew me the coin of the tribute. And they offered him a penny. And Jesus saith to them, , Whose imajje and inscription is this? They f^.i? ta him, Caesars. Then he saith to them. Render therefore to Caesar the things^ that are Caesar's; and to God, the things that are God's. « Then the Pharisees being gathered together, one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, Mark, " xii, which was the first commandment- of all? And Jesus answered him. The first commandment of all is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord thy God is one God. And thou shalt love (he Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whol6^8ovl, ami v^ith thy lohole mind, and with thy whole strength, 1'his is the first and the greatest commandment. Matt. xxii. And the second is like this, IVwm shaft hve thy neighbour as thyself. On these two ^onsmandments depend- ^ Cth the whole law and the prophets. c And Jesus sitting over against the treasury ,^ a At*. ■i»i ^1 1 60 He foreteh the Fall of Jerusalem, beheld how the people cast money into the trcastiTt^ Mark, xif, and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. And calling his disciples together, he said to them. Amen I say to you, this poor widow hath cast in more than a,ll they who have cast into the treasury. For all they j^d cast in of their abundance; but she of her want cast in all she had, even her whole living. « And as he was going out of the tetnple, Mark, xiii, one of his disciples said to him. Master, behold what manner of stones, and what buildings are here? And Jesus answering, said to him, Seest thou all these great buildings? There shall not be left a (Stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down*. His disciples said to him, Tell us when shall these thinffs be; and what shall be the sign when they shall begin to be fulfilled? In his anwer he speaks at large of many things that were to come, partly before the destruction of Jerusalem, and partly before the end of the world. Amongst the rest he tells them, Luke, xxi, « When you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand. Then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains ; and let them that a^e in the midst there- 6f 4epart out; and let not them that are in the coun- tries enter into it. For these are the days of venge-. ance, that all things may be fulfilled that are wriU ten. ^nd there shall be great distress in th^ land, and wrath upon tnis people. , And they shall fall by the sword, and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down br the Gentiles, till the times of the nations be fulfilled. And ther^ fhall be signs in the sun, and in the moop, fnd in the stars; and upon the earth distress of na- tions, by reason of thQ confusion, and roaring of tho sea i&ndl are »7^ LCh. He describes the last Judgement, 161 sea and of the waves; men withering awair for fear iand expectation of what shall come upon the whole world: for the powers of heaven shall he moved! And then they shall see the Spn of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty, &c. And ta|ie heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts hie overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life; an4 that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare it shall pome upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, praying at all times, that you may he accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to comC) and to stand hefore the Spn of Man. n He gives us also the following process of the last judgment. Matthew, xxv. « When the Son of Man shau come in his majesty, and all the angels witU him, then isball he sit on the seat of his majesty; and all nations^ shall he gathered together hefore him; and he shall separate theni from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats ; and het shah set the sheep on his right hand, But the goats on Ithe left. ' Then shall the King say to them that shall he on his right hand, (Dome, ye hl^ssed of my iFather, possess me kingdom prepared for you fro^|, the foundation of the world. ' For 1 was hungry, ^d you ^ave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to dnnk; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you cldathed me; sick, and you visited me; .1 was in prison, and you came to me. Then sh^l the just say. Lord, when didwie see thee hungry, and fed thee, ^c.? Or when did we fiee thee sick, or in prison, and came to theef An^ the King answering^ shall s^y to them, Amen I say to you: As long as you did it to oni^ of these my least brethren, you did it to nie. Then shall he say to them that shall be on his left hand, Depart fron^ me, you cursed, into 'everlasting fire, which was 3 I •i' i:1 III m W I m !*';• f I 162 The Treason of Judas, ' > prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was }iang;ry, and you gave me not to eat; I vras thirsty, and you gave me not to drinlj;; I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you cloathed Xae not; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me; Then shall they also answer him, saying. Lord when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee f And then he shall answer them, saying, Amen I say to you; As long as you did it not to one of these least ones, neither did you do it to me. And these shall go into, everlasting punish- ment; but the just into life everlasting.. » Chap. XXV. — The Treason of Judas: Chris fs last Supper. Matthew, xxyi. Mark, xiv. lL.uke, xxii* Jonn,*xii. « T^'OW the feast of the unleavened bread, which lyt is called the pasch, was at hand. And the chief priests and the ancients of the people were gathered together into the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiphas; and they consulted toge- ther how they might apprehend Jesus, and put him to death. Then Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve : and he went 'to the chief priests and magistrates, and said to th/sm. What will you give me, and I vdll d :■! « li i. iei ThePasnon and Death of ChmU he* is at hatid that will betray mc. While we was yet speaking, Judas having received a band of nrien, John, xviii, and servants from the chief priests aiid the Pharisees, cometh to the place, with lanthoms, and torches, and weapons. Atid he had given them a sign, Mark, xiv, saying. Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, lay hold on hun, and lead him away care- fully. « Jesus therefore knowing all thinjp? that should come upon him, John, xviii, went forth, and said to them. Whom do ye seek? They answered him, Jfesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them, I am h6. Now Judas also who betrayed him, stood '^ ith them. As soon then as he h^d said to them, I am he, they went backward and fell ifj the ground. Again therefore he asked. Whom do ye seek ? And S^ey aaid, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he : if then ye seek ine, let these go their way. ve strike him with the sword? And one of tbem (Pe- ter,) di'awing his sword, struck the si6rvant of the higiy priest, and cutoff his right ear. Then Jesus Said to Peter, Put up thy sword ihto \i^. scabbard. The chalice livhich my \ ather hath given me, shall I not.drmk it? Thimtest thou that I cann6t ask fny Father, and he Will give ine presentlv more than twefve legions of angels? How then snail the iScriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done. Matt. XXVI. And when he had touched his ear, he healed him. In the same hour, Jesus saith to the multi- tudes, Yott are come out as against a robber witlr ).. e was men, s and lorns, them 1 kiss, care- hould said to him, am he. 1 them, e, they Again d 3^ey I have t these 5 up to edhmi. rt thou »f Man n, see- hall we jm (Pe- t of the a Jesus abhard. e, shall aOt ask V more hall the s. Matt. t healed I multi- »er with The Panion and Death of ChrkU 1C9 swords and clubs, to apprehend me. When Twaf daily with you teaching in the temple, you did not 8ti*etch forth your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Then they laid hold on him, and bound him, and led him away. And the disciples all fled. But Peter followed him at a distance to see the end. » And first they brought him before Annas; where he meekly received a blow on the face from one of the servants. Then they led him away to the house of Caiphad the high-priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. « And here the chief priests and the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to d^ath. And they found none, though many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses, and they said. We heard him say, I wilL destroy this temple, (made with hands,} and in three uays will built another, not made with hands, Hark, xiv, and their witness did not agree. And the high priest rising up, said to him, Answerest thou nothine to the things which these witness against tliee? But Jesus held his peace. Then the high priest said to him, I adjure tnee by the living God, that thou tell us, if thou be the Christ the Son of God ? And Jesus said to him, « I am. » Mark, xiv. And you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right band of the power of God, and coinings in the clouds of heaven. Then the ' high priest rent his garments, saying, He hath blasphemed, what furuier need have we of witnesses P You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Then they began to spit oti him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him; and others struck his face with the palms of their hands, saying. Prophesy unto us, Chiist, who it is that struck thee. And f'i f I '''Si' ''ill' I SI ii: 170 The Passion and Death of Ckrisi* many others things they blasphemously said against him. » Now Teter followed liim into the house of the high priest ; and stood with the servants at the fbe, Tvnidh they had 'made in the hall, and warmed him^ self: when the portress that had let him in, seeing him at the fire, first put the question to him, and then positively affirmed that he was with Christ— But he denied him, sayin?, Womali, I know him not. Then alter a Httle while another maid accus- ed him to the standers by, and was seconded by a inan that was in the company: and this occasioned the second denial. And after the space of about an hour, others of the cotaipanV, wno took notice -by his speech of his being a Galilean, charged him also with bein^ h disciple, which was confirmed by ia kinsman ^f Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut oii^ saylfi,|, %hat he had seen him in the garden with him. And this drew on the third denial. And presently ' the cock crew. « And the Lord turning, looked on Peter. » Luke, xxii. « And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice: And Peter went out and wept bitterly. ^ « When the morning was come, all the chief priests and ancients of the people, took counsel against Jesus to pat him to death. And they brought him bound, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Governor, Matt. xxvi. Then Judas who betrayed him, seeing he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver, to the chief priests and the ancients, saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? Look thou to it. And casting ' down the pieces of silver in the temple, he went ind hanged himself with a halter. » ]Now when the chief priests and ^cients had birthe he ihiei :d him^ seeing n, and >whim accus- idby a isioned about notice ed him ned by cut oir; th him. csently >ked on ced the le cock r went s chief :ounsel i they i*ontiu« as who )enting Iver, to I have y said, satstii^ e went ts hU The Passion and Death of ChrisL ' 17 V brought Jesus before Pilate, Luke, xxii, « They began to accuse liim, saying, We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, and saying ^hat he is Cnrist the king. And Pilate asked him. Art thou the king cf the Jews? Jesus answered hiin> My kingdom U ' not of this world. John> xix. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But pow my kingdom is not from hence. Pilate said to him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou :.ayest it^ I aip a kinff. For this was I bom, and for this came I into the world, that I should give testi,:nony to the truth. Every one that is of 5ie truth, heareth my voice. » Pilate, although he ^ did not understand what this kingdopi meant, saw - well eiiou^h it could not interfere with Caesar's authority; and as to all the rest they alledged against him, though to his great astonishment Jesus answered never a, word, he paid little regard to it; tjj^ he plainly perceived they were pushed on by passion and envy, and not by love of justice. And ., therefore he told them, he.ibvind iio cause in him^^ and was for discharging him. , « But they were most earnest, Luke, xxiii, say- . ijgkff, He stirrcth up the people, teaching throughout.^ ^r Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.—-" And Pilate hearing of Galilee, asked if the man was a Galilean? And when he understood that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him away 4^6 Herod, who himself was also at Jerusalem in those days. Now Herod seeing Jesus, was very glad: for he was desirous of a long time to see him, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to see some miracle wrought by him. And he questione4 him with many words; but he aH' ^ei:£.dhim nothing. And the chief jpriejiU an4^ *•] 'l1 I If Il Va The Pa$9iim and Death of Christ f cribes stood by earnestly accusing bim, and Herod with his soldiers set bim at nought, and -nocked liim, patting on bim a white garment, am? s>nt him back to Pilate. « Now upon the festival day it was the custom for the governor to release to the people one of the prisoners, whom they should demand. And be had then a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas, who was put in prison for sedition and murder, » Pilate, therefore, being willing to save Jesus, asked the people, whom they would have him release to thent^ Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ. Matt.xxviii. «e For he knew that for envy they prosecuted him. And bis wife had sent to him, to desire that he would do nothing against that just man; for that she had suffered that day many things in a dream be« cause of him. But the chief priests and the ancients Sersuaded the people, that they should demand larabbas, and make Jesus away. What then shall I do, said Pilate, with Jesus who is called Christ.^ They say all, I^et him be crucified. Why, what evil hath he done? said Pilate. Bat tbey cried out the more, Let him be crucified. « Then therefore Pilate took Jesus and scourged bim, John, xix, and the soldiers taking bim inta the hall, gathered together unto bim the whole band, and stripping bim, they put on him a purple garment; and platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before bim, tbey mocked him,^ SAyingy Hail, king of the Jews. And spittine upon bim, they took the veed and struck his bead; and they smote him with their bands. Then Pilate went forth again, and said to them. Behold I bring bim forth to you, that you may know that I find no cause in him, (so Jesus came forth, wearing the cvown of thorns and the pur(>le garment]^ and h^ The Piusibn and Death of ChmU 173 saitb to them, Behojd the man. When the chief Qiicsts and the officers saw him, they cried out, Crucify him^ Crucify him. Pilate saith, Take him! you, and crucify him; for I find no cause in him. From thenceforth, Pilate sought to release him. — But the Jews cried, out. If thou release this, man, thou art not Caesar's friend; for whosoever mak- eth himself a king speaketh against Caesar. » Here Pilate's fear, of, bein£ accused to Caesar, overcame his resolution^ and-brought him to com- plv, against his conscience, to give sentence against Corist; by which he condemned him to the death of the cross. But first taking water, he washed his hjinds before the. people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look yovi to it*: And all the people ans\^ring, said. His blood be upon us, and upon our children*^: . « Then he delivered, him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him out; and two others, malefactors, were, also led with him to be put to death. And bearing hjis own cross, he went forth to the place called Calvary. And in the way they laid hold oia one Simon cSt Cyi:ene, that was coming out of the country: and they laid the cross on him to •firry after Jesus. Luke, xxiii. « Now there foUowed himia great mi!lUitude of. people, aiid of women, who bewailed and lamented him. But i^esus turning to them* said. Daughters of Jerusalem>ji^eep n Thc^e two apostles ran out to the monument, and entering in, found the linen cloths lying there, and the nap- kin that had been about his head : and not know^ ing what to think, went back again to their home. But Mary staid weeping over the sepulchre; and C^4aed pot to seek the beloved of her soul, till ih^ •»ij 8"! * I tm IN 178 Christ and his Disciples at Emnmns» * ^ was favoured with a vision of sngels, and then with the sight of our Lord himself. The like favour was also shewed to the other holy women. Matt, xxviii, verses 9, 10. The same day he overtook two of his disciples in their way to Emmaus; and joining their company, explained to them the scriptures relating to his passion and resurrection; and at length was known to them in the breaking of bread. Luke, xxiv. « Their eyes were opened, and they knew him ; and he vanished out. of their sight. And they said one to the oth^, Was npt our hearts burning with- in us, whilst he was speaking in the lyay, aud open- ing to us. the scriptures.? « And; they ros^ U|» the same hour, and went back, toi Jerusalem: ond they found the apostles gathered together, and those thj^ were with them, saying, The tord is risei? indeed,sand hath appeared uuto Simon, 3&C. Now whilst they were speaking these things, (it being nowr late, and the doors being shut for fear of the Jews,) Jesus suddenly stood iu the midst of them, and said, Peace be to you: it i^ I, hp not afraijd. But they being trouWed and af;- fHghtcd, thought they sajy a spirit. Aiid he s4id to them. Why ar^ you troubled? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have* Then he said, Have you here any thing to eat? And they offered him a piece of broiled fish and a hppey- comb. And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to tliem- And. he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I w;as yet ivith you. That all things must needs be fultiiled which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets, and in the psalms con^ cerning me. Then he opened their understanding, %^t tl^y might understand the scriptures. Aud ho. Incredulity of St Thomas. tl9 said, ThJ^ - ■■•'■■• ,1. •' . ', :*3.'n:r. CHAR L J^Iatthias ii chosen Jlposih in the Place of Judas» Acts, i. AFTER the ascension cf our Lord, the eleven apostles, returuing to JcrusalCkfi, « went up to an upper rpomj and abode there. And thej all con- tinued with one accord in prayer, ivitii the women» and Mar J the mother of Jesus, and his brethren. In those days when there were about one hundred and twenty persons assembled together, Peter Siandin^ up in the midst of the brethren, snicl, Men, br€ti>reB, the ^GciptUxe must needs be iulfiiled, which th« Baijr (xheut spoke before by the mouth ;^f David, c(3fiic«tmn|^ Jtt who was l$iade? of them that Q, 2 <•.■. ^84 Si, Peter^s Sermon. apprended Jesiis; Who was numberefl with ^*^ and had obtained part of this ministry. And he in^ deed hath posi»et)sed « field of the reward of iniquity ^ and being hanged, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, the field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let their habitation hecomt desoiat&y and let there be none to dwell Ui^reiui and his bislicpnclet another take. Wherefore of these men who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out ^amongst us, beginning from the baptism of John till the day wherein ne was taken up from us, one of these ihust be made a witness with us of the' resurrec- tion. « And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsa- bas, surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And praying they said, Thou Lord, who knowest the hearts of an men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by transgression. fallen, that lit might go ix) his own place. And they gave thenft lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. }> , Chap. ll.^-^The Disciples received the Holy Gkosi^ Peter's Sermon on this Occasion. The pidhj of * the first Con'eerts. kcts, '\\. , "^^'ui « *Wy"OW when the day of Pentcco'St #^s tom'ei il^ they were all together in one place, ftncl suddenly there came a sottrtd from heaven as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the Whole housi *i where they were sitting. And th^# afjieai^d td tthem pva» 'f ^., ' Ghoshs yiety of ce, ftna as of d. » hous^ iai^4 i6 t*wh (h« Holy Ghos^; amd they began to speak with fivers tongues, as., ^he Hol^ Ghost gave th^m to speak. « Nqw there wer^ ^Yelliiig at Jerusalem, Jews, jreUgious rae^ out of every imtion t;inder heaven. And \yb^n this, was noise4 abroad, tbe multitude 0am^ together, and were cpi^fQund^a,, because inat • ^very man heard them sn^ak i^ hiS; oiyn tongue. And they vvei'e all amaxed and ^laryelled, &iiying». jSehoIjd, ar^ not alL these men that a^e spesUfing Galileans.^ And how then have w^ heaH every maa lu^ own tongiie> in which vye were 1 And they j^aid one' to another, What mea ♦^bis? But 9ther8. mocking, said, Th<^se men Oj^^i^w ivine. « Then Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted . up bis voice^ and spoke to them, Ye men of Judea, ' 3^kI all you that dwell ip Jerusalem, be this knp^tji. if) ypuj and give eajr to my words. For these are. not driipk, as you suppose ; seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is tliat which was spoken^ of by tbe prophet Joel: And it shaU come to pass in, ihetast day^, saith the Lord, tht^t I will pour out m%f^ Spirit umfi^^ll flesh; and your sons and your daugh- ters shall p'ophesyy Sfc* And it shall come to pass,, that tohosoever shdl call upon the na^e of the JLora shall he: saved* « Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of^ ' Nazareth, a man approved of God amon^ y.93^ by ^idity works, and wonders, and signs^ Which God^. did by Jiim iii the midst of you, as you also know.. This sa^e^ being delivered up to the determipatei counsel aiid fore-knowledge of God, you, by the. Imnds of wicked; men, have cii;u;ificd and slain; i^hom, Ood bail raised up, as. I?avid saith c()^cern•^ ijpi£ |ii% Jlfy ;/^e«/i s/)4x2/ re^^ in hope: because tfioii. u^nqtUaieimj soul in tieli, nor suffer the Holy Qnd iH^ ^^tS^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 l^|Z8 |2.5 |50 "^ ■■■ ■ 10 ^ Ui 12.2 1.1 m L2I 1 J-4 i.6 6" y *l f f Photographic Sciences Corporation 'fe?' 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO (716) 872-4503 v\ 6^ ■, W*«*£« «* ■■^'r.'*-^'* *l^ M,- *-f- m Piety of the First Convertt. id see eorrvption. Thou host made knmim tomethi: ^aysoflife; ihdu shaUmake meftdl cfjaymtfttha eountenajicei For as he was a prophe^ Jbres^ei|i|; he spoke of the resiirrectiun of CtiHst: forndHul!^ Was he left in hell, neither did his flesh srefe comif^ tion. This Jesus hath God raised up again, whereof we are witaesses. Ated being' e^talted by the right hand of God, and haying received of tjie Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath j^i^ur^d^rtk thii which you see and hear. There^re l^t |il the house of Israel know most assuredly^ that God liatti nmde this same Jesus, whon^ y^U-haye ortici&sd, both Lord aiid Christ. ^ 'j; ^H '• i - ^ « Now when they had heahJtfi^se tMngSj they werA* touched to the heart with cpi^punotion. Ah^ they said to Peter au'^ to the rest of the afostleSy What sh^ll we do? But Peter sa|d 4?) them, l/o jjenahecy/and be baptized eyery Ope of you ih tlfe liame of Jesus Christ, for the remi$sipn of jriu^ sins ; and you shall receiye the^Ut\o^'the Hb]^ Ghost. For the promise is to you, jand tp your cbif- dren, and to all that are afar ofZ Whomsoeyer the I^ord our God shall call. And 'iiritii very manjr . other words did he' testify and ^xhprt them, saying^, Saveyot^rselves from this ' perversei generation, r « They therefbre that received hi? word we» baptizec^; and there -weje added. to them in that day about three thousand ^puls- And thfy l^ere conthiuing in tlie doj?trine;of thl^ npostles, and in the communication of the, bref||dng of br^a4 ^^ii^ in prayers^ And fear dain<| ]iig((iueyei^^ many wonders and sigr^^ lyer^ doni^i^ tl^ ^sMto in Jerusalenpi. And jjiM Ihejjr 0>^t;l^^^ together, and )^ til tm&*tpvm^f Tkitif aM ^.their Mses^ions i^pd go^di^ #id 4i!^^ tecprdm|>s ever^iriai^^^^d:#e4-y^ The Miraek of the lame Man. 167 iib^ Wad from house to house, the jr took tbeiir meat 9fith gladness and singleness of heart; praiskir Sod and having favour witli all the pple. And le Lord addea daily to their society sueh as should lit saved. > jGkaf. in.— 7%e Mirade of the lame Man foUmed ; ' hv the Convermnt^ many. Acts, iii. ji 1I|T0aV Peter and John went up to the temple - 1^ at the hour of prayer, being the nintii hour. ribid a certain man, who was lame from his mo- fistt^n womb, whom they laid every day at the gate of the temple, which is called fieaumul, that pe^flught askvalms of them that went into the tem« ^pk. He, when he had seen Peter and John about to f» into the temple, asked an alms of them. But 4ter with John fastening his eyes upon him, said, JLook upon us. And he looked earnestly upon them, hoping that he should receive something of them. ^Taeh Peter said. Silver and gold I have none: but What j have I ^ve thee: In the name of Jesus C/hrist ojr Nazareth, rise up and walk. And taking: |um by the right-hand, hii .lifted him up, and forth*^. .Ifrith his feet and soles received strength. And he leading up, stood and walked; and went in with them into the teniple, walking, and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him Uralking, and praising God. And they knew hia» iliat it was he who sat begging aim? at the Beauti- i&l Gate of the temple; and they were filled with h0on^t aud amazement at that w^hicb had happen* jt4to'hiiii.'. -'^ e r^ And f^ he held Peter and John, all the people Isan to th^m to the |>oreh, whiich is called Solomon^s. Jffatly wondering.' ^Which Peter seeing skid to the peo|He| Ye men of Israel, why wonder ye at this 0? irhy ieokye upoik us, 4» if by our ttreogth aiid / 'I t :\68 . ^ The Miracle vf the lame Man. ^f^pow^r wehad made ^his man ta walk? Th^jGM ■ o£ AbraKam, and the God of Isaac; and th GocI of JfUM>ln the God' of our fathers, hath glorified .]|ia ^^^Son Jejus^ whom you indeed ^delivered u|^JaDd denied before the fice of Pilate^ whj^n he judged he should be released. But you denied the mly *.»One andthe Just,' and desired a m^deiter tq-^ ^ *^granted to you. But the author of lif^ you kHled, f^'WJ^om God hafh raised from the dead; of whi(ph ^^ we are witness. And his name, through t^ lakh l^of his name, b^th made this man strpnjg whom ^rou ^^ have seen and know; and the faith which is by mm *',',jhath ^ven this perfect soundness in the sight of ;^ youaU. ^■; cc And now, brethren, I know that you did it hy ^ jffiiorance, as did also your rulers. But thosethinlrs tni^t'God befdire had shewed by the mouth of ul ^;,ihe prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he haSkh 'J-«o falfiue^. Repent ye, thereibre, and be coiiTertftd, * /^is^t your sins may be blotted out, jSc^o. You are j^jthe children of the prophets, and of the coven»nt ^ which God made wiQi bur fathers, saying to Abra- ^^liam,, «^n({ in thy seed sbatt dU the ^mred^t%e 'learllihe blessed. To you first, God raising up ^s ^ 'don, hath sent bim to bless yon, th^t every man f may ti^'n away from his wickednejss. , « Now as they wer6 speaking to the people, Acts, iy, the priests, and the officers of the temple, ait^d ^Hhe Saaducees caiiie upon 6ie: leing grieved tliat '.they taught flie people, am^ p..y^cheain Jeiu# tjie ^resurijection from the d^ad. And they Ink! * b^^s "'^n thi6rti, and put thenfi' in hold til! the hiext d^i /or it wai^now «veniti;r. But many- of thbnii tnat had l^elird die wo^d, believed • a^^ th$ |iui|p^ ^ men^was jmade ftvc |hdti$an4, *t!^' \ * * ,J> W^-iz •tin$ ay^ut^ic*> ^Q v^ *"*' ui\it]L ^.^fev^^^,.,.)5.':7,>V-w> ^U.. Sod of ^^ judged B Holy killed, which liefaifch bm'vou hynkn sight of iiditl»y e* things khofSl heh^h iyerled, fou are oveii»nt Abra- i2 of the up ^s ry flian e, Acts, )le, «t»d jred tliat eius( tjie xt d^Vi fern tnat of i'i VJJ lT:^-^The Gonstqmu of: Pet$r nM M\k )ybrf0fi!e:,thes.Couwsilii, The Ckurich is increasecL. > "PinfQW on the n^xt daywas gathered together ^'X^i^iteirnders; and ancients, and scribes, with itjhe ,cjbii^ |)i^st^ ;. f^d, setting them in the midsit^ jUi^ aslifidA-B^^ poiyerj^ by^iyhat name havft yoa done this? Then Peter, filled Vith the Holjf $rhofit, -said tK ft^em>, Ye rulers of, the people, and anciens^ he^Mf i If we thi^ day ^ a^^e examined . eon-* .eerning the gopd de,ed;done to the infirmi man,! by «vhat means he h^tb beein made whole ;.be it kno(wn< ' jtoypu all) and to all the peppl^e of, Israel,- that by ^e najpE^e of our Lord Jesust Christ of Nazareth^ ^hom yoa ^rucified,^ ifhom God hath raided from j&%dead, even by him doth thia man ^ttM^d before^ ^p«: whole. Tlins is the^ sfone whidi was faceted by .you the ImUdeTiSy whick i^ become the head f^ tlie^ tf^orsrr^ I^eijther is; there salvation i|i any other; for ll^f^i? no other name under besiven given to men^ , ivhereby we must be saved^ . > :^^ *rj n $iow^ when theyr saw the constancy of Peter - Cafid Jio^ i^nderstanding that they w^re illiterate- jwid i^orant men, they wondered; and they knew- ^teni; thai they had been with Jesus; seeing also the man that had been healed standing' with them» , they cpul^ say nothing against it. But they com-^^ inandeji} them to go aside out of the counou; and llliey^ conferred among themselves, sayiiig, What khall we do to these men ? For indeed u miracle Ibatb helm done by them, known to all that dwell ii|i •Jerusalem: it is manifest, and we cannot deny it. "But that it may be no farther spread, let us thret^ten* theiijt'hatlhey speal^ no morg in this^nimie to jvay man. And calUng them, they charged them not to speak at aU, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered, if i^be just m the too Conttaney. of Ftt^ and Jhhn. ^ight of God to heai^ you ihither than God, jtt<^ Je. -For ^e cannot but speak the tMngs viliieb we ave Seen and heard. But they threat^ehfng, sent them away; not finding how fhey'ihi^htp^^ them, because of the people: for jiU sien^lonBed in what had been done; for the man li^kf above forty years old, in wliom th&t miraculoull cute liad been wroug&t; >^^So they beins let go, i^toie fo their owh ebm- pany, and related all that the chief priests an^ an- df nts hiid said to them. And they having Hi^ard it, lifted up their voices with one accord in priiier; begging that the Lord would behold their threaten* ings, and grant to his servants, that with altjfion- fidence they might speak lus w6^, by's^ret^ing forth bis hand to cures, and signs, and wondei^, to be donc^ by the bame of his holy Son JeStiS; And wheiti they had prayed, the place iyas shakeii where- in they were assembled ; and they were all tilled with^ the Holy Ghost, aiid they spoke the wol^ of God v^th boldness. i ' ' ^ « No# th^ niultitude of the beli^ihlafif bad >ut One heart and one soul; and all thing^' wero cJ9m- mon to them. And with great polyer did Wt m ties give tesdmony of the resurrection of J^sut Christ ourXord ; and great grace was in them alU And'as many as, were owners of lands br Il6u.se8^ ' sold them, and brought the price, aii,d laid it d^wn, befi>re the feet of the apostles; and distrijbutidi^'yas: made to every man according as he had heed. '^nd. Joseph, a Levite, a Cyprian born; who by the ^os^- ties was surriamed Barnabas, (that is, the fj^of Comfort,) having land, sold it^ and lijrou^t ;it tjQt tb^ nij by ?^ r Mud iept back; ' part of tbe jgripe of ihe l^ni^i bis "' * vrifi^ being privy ' to it : and bringinz^ a.cCTtainjpart >f it, laid it at the feet of tbe aposu^s, , Biit Fetep An^ias, WJiy has Satan tei^ptejcl, thy heart. J .''■■; '■• ,.^ And after it was sold, w^ It not in thy; pp^er^ ^* ;; Why hast thou^ conceiyed this tJiiW in 4y hj^art ? f . TThou -..T* '/Ifboii hast npt lied to iaen but to GcwJ. And , j^nanias heainn^/thes^ W((^,:iell do^wn-^d gavs '^'— tW ghost, ^nd ihem c^^nc ^i^t. fear uiioq' . j!^. tfi^tj^ardf it And.,t|ie you^ m^i^ ra^in^ k> : t%iAf^^^^ "^ f ^^ carrying mm . 9^0^ bwiea ^..^^ « Apd it; ^as about the spacA of three hours ' ''*.af^r, wh^ his ii^ife, not l^o|Kiring wbat had Jhap- ""l ^^f^sii^iCfj^ And Petjcr said to her. Tell me, "^^^lifou^an^ ;VlJetper^you sold the laiid.for t^omiich?, '^^^ to fbr,^omuch« And iP^ter said,* : J *^ yThy Jiayie you ^e»»d together to teuipt tjici Spirit ■^.Vqfwe LojFd? Behold the. i feet of/theui. .li^rho have t|ia^d4^^jl|^t^bandare at tjbedoor, au4 t)^y shall .carfV tl^e J^ord ^lyfa Qiore increased ^ insoi^uch th^y broilght loiih th« i^icjc iiito the sifi^t^ and li^id thetiTlii' Mda ^d covtches, that ivhen Peter c^e» ^ his shadow at leaat, might pverahadow w^y^df them j ~ ni>& they^mig;ht be deliveired fi-dm t^^irmfii^ties. V Attdtfa^re ttaiie also ioffetber to; Jentsaletn^'a mul- [ . tilude .put' t^ the neighboiiiii^ pities, bringing the Sic)t^a^^sUc|^'as were th}ubl£l with uncleaii S]^-^ ., Titl; S^p Wei*e all healed^ . ' ^ , v^henf'a^rose i^p the high priest, and the S^-^ ^ Idncefes^iind Were nlled with iAdigiiation, asfdih^y ^ laid h^ds on the apostles, and put them ui: tne ' coimxibn . prison. But an angel of the liOrd ^y ; night^ opening the door of ^e prison^ and leading^ t^ein ottt, sara, Goy and standing soeak ye in v^. ^ tiEhnple to tJi0, people ^^^^ the ivordi^ oi thisliiie. So. the^ having neara ^n^ iea^ly in^^he morning, en- > ^ t^redtiie temple ^d taught^ \$ii4 t!)e high pHc^st } '^nd tUey that were with him called together ^e^ ^•^Qittncilj'and all the ancients of tiie children of Isri^ ; an4 they SQnt to the pidison, to have them bronght. ' Bht the oncers 'hcit pm^^^ ~ and said^ We fbt^d the prison indetdshut wiih all -diligence, and keepers i^tanding b^fbtie the dooir; 'lyftt cernii^ th^n, what would come to pliss,^ But 06c •' caliie and told them^ Behold the men whdii(i^ou put « ' '4n prildn^ are stitnding in the temple, and'&a<^dg : the people; Then went the nqiagistrate^wiUbr the 1 -bij^ra^ and brdttght them Without vibl^tii^^ ; fbr / I they feared tibe people lest their should be «t6nlib. i^i And when they litifl brought tnem, the^ set^ th^ before the unofl; iiiid thW high priest i^m^ them, Cemmaifdinjf We^^mn^n^ i^if , that yoii should notljsaeh^^in thiBliame, and beholdr jx>tl m€ ' . ; ^V * ■i^*i4^ il^'lLlX: ^ V k'. livi^ i% %:*-Mti,ti. viiit ^int V i.''W t *XfJ^ n% |^Ie4 JerusiJ,em with yoqi* dpctiine ; aijd you Uaye' \ a Ballad to bting upoi^ us the blp9d of thus oifin. ''«^BUt fW«t and th^ A)^^tlies ai)siyer^ng,,8iud». We ought to obey God. rather than men. The . God <^^ov^r fAth.er8.hatli r^^^^ yQU: pt^t to deVtbyhaqgin|g him upon i^ tree. jElim hath rXstii ei^Ited lirith his right-hai)d, to be Prince rand^ Saviour, io eive repei^tance to Israel^ and remifliiBion^^ of. sins. Aqd we are witnesses of these things^ ai^d: il.^.Holy Ghost, whom. God h<^th gi^en to' aU, that obWyhim., , /I * - ■'R Cr4P* Vf.^7V Or^it^um of the Seun ^^d^: » ' Sieph^n^s^ Zeai and Martyrdom. Acts, v^ itL ^ < ^VKTOW the numbei^ of the di9ei][>le8't)eio^'mul- Jt^ tiplied, there aros^ si muiiiiiirinl^ of the Grecians against the H^brews^ co.mj^laining Ihi&t thieiif widows were neglected' ih' the dailjr knim^jxa- tion* Th^n the twelve calUng together the nmlti- tifde, proposed that 'they should Took outai^Q^sst them (or sevjBH men of good reputations full ortiie Holy Ghost andwiiidom, whom, they mi^ht fipjpbint over this business^ that they themselVes.ix^lguf not be taketn off fjttm their duty of continual pirayer,^d the ministry of the Word, They ohose tnerelTortt Stephen,. A man full of (kith an4 of the Holy^ GSbst^ and Pbilip, and Prochorus, an(t:Nicanor,, and^i-t. Vion, ana I^rmenas, and^ l^lpplas a profielyi^ of JLnttoch, The^e they Bet b^folie the apostles v' and they prayed, imposing hands upon them : njthal is, thiey oraaiiied th^m by prayer ai¥i imposition . of lands. ^ , v^ ■;,.. ' '/^J'T, - : c Aiid the word of the Lord increased, ^ana the nuinber of the disciples were multipned:in J^r\i- ^li^ exceedindy : a great multitude abo lor the priests obeyed the faith. J\xid Stephen (mtpf gmce and fortitude did great wonders and miracles am^ng the people . liTow there arose some of Chat toiich is csilled the sypagogue of the Libertin^^ &cj^ and of them that w^i^ from Cilicia; and A^ia^ dispnting with Stephem And they were not able to reflist the tidsdom ofid the. spirft. that .sjpoke. Then^peir •uhomed men to say, pjntvJim heard hup sge^k words of l^i^enciy acainst Ii|bses and agiuintt^Uod. And th^y slirred iiq^ tbo people, In4 i& ilncitents^ -Ki ^' 'U tiiijlrtt Mattyrdftdi^ IH ^ ,,^nd thi» gelibel; ftiid ninnin^ together ttey took ;^ ^y jiim, and brought him b'efbre the council. And th^? •et up false witnessefl, who said, This man censeth i^ot to speak against the holy place and th^ law, f ^^t , If <^w all that sat in council, looking st'sad* l^Uy on him, s^w bis (W^ »8 ilT it b«d DNeeu tht j(iu:e of au aM;el. » ^^.^.; ' Aiid belt Stephen being inteiTosated hTfthe high .^(jpriest, ^aye an account or his beuef ana doctrine^ ^^,,f^pp|rovuig the calling of Abraham and of Moses, ^;'t|'the giving of the law, anctthe erecting of the taber- j^\ Aa(^, &«c., hut shew^g witl^l how tbeilr fathers «^lj^%aa ^ways been rebeb to God and to his messen- ^^^ j^^rs; and ih the conclusion he said to them, « You j^J^'S^-necked and uncircumcised in heart ai^d in eani| |f,^ you always resist the Holy Ghost ^ as your fathers ^^,^d, so do you also. Which of the prophets hav« ';. fiot your Others persecuted? And they have slain '* ; them who fojcetold of the coming of the JUst One ; ^, of ^ whom you have been now the betr/iyejrs and. ^/. isnurdereri, wholiaye received the law by^e di«po<. ,'■ titionoi^ angels^ and have not kept it^ > , , iv , : * Npw hearing these things th^ywere cut to thei heart, and they gnashed with their^ teeth at him. ^ ^%ithe, being full of the Holy Ghost, ^[poking i)ip J.' steadfastly to heaven saw the glory, of Gpd^ and ^f J Jesus . statiding at the right -hai3 of Go4» and he .said, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Sou ^^4 ojr Man standing at the right-hand of Go^. 1%en ^y crying out with a loud voice, 8tp|^d their ears ; and with one accord ran violently upon him ; and castjne him forth without the city, they stoned ^ Jhim. j^d the witnesses laid down theic cloths at • I , the feet of a young ipan, whose nan^e was Saul. .|,,^Da they atoned Steph'^n, invoking ajid saying, Jj^Xqrd Jeaus, receiire my ^spirit*. And falling on his ^ wef, ha c|icd with aloud voiae^ Lord, lay not this ' R 2 1-1 cJW ,^ul the Pers9mt9r. It . «in> to' Ibeir. charge.. And when he had laid thi^ ;he fell asleep in the Loit!.* . ' |Dr4P. VIl— .^ grievoui Perseeutum* 77ie Convct* sitmcf the 8amariian$^ and of the Tremir^ of ^ ■' Mf-Qireen of Ethtopim. Act«, viii. , . , j% ' ^ rT that time there was raised a greft^ perseeu* ' , .^f^ tioD asainst the Church whi^h was at Jem^ '^ salem ;- an4 wey were all dispersed Nthrpugh th^ [ countries of Judea and Samaria, except the ajpostlea. JAxid devout men took o^ers for Stephens's luneraL and made great' mourning orer him. But iSavd .made havoc oT the Chi^rch^ entering in from house '^tol)buse, ana, drag^g away men and women t^ |p):i8on, having received authority from the chief ^priests, Acta, xxvi, and punished them often ifk ,«very uyna^Ogue: and when the^ Were. put tp. deatn, hringing ,the sentence^ jr. .. / VNpw they that wer^^ disperaedT wei^t ajboi^ 'if>reaching> the word of Gfoii And Philip the dear con, 'going' down to the c^ity of Samarii^vPWchei ^Gh^titQ them* And the people with one accord "^ere a^entive to his discourses, hearii^ and seeing '^e niiraclcs he wrought* For unclean spirits,, Umng oiiit with a loud voice, came out from many ^W^o Were^pvossessed by them; and many that wiere^ taken With tiie palt(y» and were lame, were healed^ I And ther^ wa3 great joy in that city. i , «No\v there was a certain inian named Simonj^ who before had been a magician in that city,, seducing the people, gi,vine out that he was some ' great one ; to whom they aU gave ear, sayipg, This ^ man is die great power of uod. For ne %ad for a I6ng time bewitched them with his sorc^stes. ; But when ^ey had believed 'l^hilip preaching of^ ; the Kingdom of God, itt the name of JesU9 Cwis^ «*.:■(•* ,*■«?.'♦ "WiW"^ J l«7 'thejF ;ivere haptized both men and women. Tlien Sim(M]i himself believed also: and being baptized^ he continued with Philip ; and was astonished, seehig the sigins and exceecfing great miracles which werei ; « $fow when the apostles that were in Jerusalein had heard that Samaria had received the word of God^thejr sent to thep Peter and John; who when tj^y wier^ eome» prayed for thei^ that they DU|;|bt refeiye the Holy Ghost ; forhei(irasnQ.tasyetcoine §*j^on any of them; but they were only baptized in le naine of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upou iheih, aud they received the Holy Phost , ' r t f Wheu Simon saw, th^^t by the laying on of the ! |ijin4s of the apostles, Uie Holy Ghost was given, he ', ofiei^ them money, saying, Give ine also tljs gowi^r, that oh whomsoever 1 sha{l lay my h^ndk, e may receive the Holv Ghost. ]But Pet^r said io hiin^ Thy money perish with thee: because thou m^^ thought Xk^X the gift of God ^lay bei^urchased . y0b^ ^^'^^^ T^Q^ hast no part npr lot in this matter. For thy heart i^ i^oi n^fat in the si^ht of ,Go4- Pe!pe^itcht therefore for this thy wickeonesjs, .lUMi pray to God, if perhaps thijs tnoueht of thy Start miay he forgiven thee^ For I see thou art in e gaU of bitterness, apd the bonds of i^iqukV. \ The^ ^iwn ^uswering ai^d said, Pray ye to ihe .' Xbrd for me> that none of these things .ti'h^b ye ; have spokeu eome upon xfxt, ' ' ' ^ « And they indeed having testified aijd preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, after { h^iYJnf preaG|]^ed the gospel in many plac^ of the V SatoStlm^.' Bflt ail ?(nget of^^^ LbM s^kcio P^i|^tp go towards the south, Xo thorw^y^that '■ ■ ^^@ ironrleruj^alem to Ga^aJ And' behol4 a^man J^tijio|)(aV an enntich^of gr^at authority un^e^f r. 199 The (jwntenion qf 8quU 1 ... Caiidae^, queen of the Ethiopians, tvho was otftvill . her treasures, and had come to worshhi in Jemsa- lem, was returning that way in his chariot^ aAd was reading the prophet isaias. , And the Spifit •aid to iPhilip, Go near, and join thyself to tlfis . chariot. And Philip running ui>, heard him reading the [)rophet Isaias. And he said. Dost thou think :thou understandest what thou readest? He said, And how can I. except somte men shew me? And he desired that Philip should come up, and sit with him. Now ^e place of the scripture, whidt tie was reading, was this, He was lea as sheep ioibM "Slaughter, &c. And the Eunuch said to Philip, Of whom, I beseech thee, doth the prophet speuc this? Of^ himself, or of some other man? Thin ; Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached to him Jestis, And as they '. went on their way, they came to a certain watet ; and the Eunuch said. Here is Water, yvhst doth hinder me from being baptized? And Philip said, ^ If thou beUevest with all thy heart, thou mavet^. And he answering said, I believe that Jesus Cht^t is-the Son of God. And he commanded the charfot to stand still : and they went dowii in the water, both Plnlip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took awav Philip, and the Eu- ; nueh^saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing. But PhiUp was found in Azotus; and passing through, he preached the gospel to all the cities till he came to Csesarea. « "« CmJt.VpIr^The Conversion of Said. Aet^iz,ahd zxvi. « ^AUL, yet breathing out.threiteningl and l9 slaughter against the dkeiples of the Loid, Wffat to tiii high pnest| md triced of hifii kltenklai Jinmia$ fertf to SauL lii .i|)tti^setis to the synagogues ; ^t if be fiiiind any^ ;^iHeh or women of tbi^ way, he might bring them -V Ikound to Jerusalem, Now when he drew nigh 'to Damascus, at mid-day, suddenly a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, (m which : h6 saw'tbe Lord Jesus,) shone round about him, and them that were in company with him. And .they all fell to the ground. And he heard a voice itayiog to him in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, nvby persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to :: kick against the goad. And he said. Who art thou, ^ Lord ? And the Lord answered, ) am J^siis, whom . thou persecutest. But rise up, and stand upon thy ^^'feet ; for to this end have I appesp^d to thee, that :t'| inay make thee a minister and witness of those ^things in which 1 will appear to thee ; delivering ^^thee from the people, and irom the nations, to which I nolv sen<] thee, to open their eyes, that they maj .ibe converted from darkness into light, and (roxtk the ,^ower of Satan to God ;. that they may receive for- fiveness of their sins, and a lot amongst the saintf^ y the faith that is in me. Acts, xxvi. ' « Then trembling and astonished he said, Losd nvhat wlit thou have me to do ? And the Lord said tx> 'him, .Arise, and gojnto tiie city, and there it « shall b& told thee what 'tiiou must do. Now iA^ men that were in company with Mm stood astonish* 'ed, hearing; indeed a voice^ (which they understood not,) but seeing- no man. And Saul arose fcom ^Ihe ground; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. Bu^ they leading him by the hapd, brought him to Damascus, and he was three <^y8 wi^ut sight, and he did neither eat nor 'dnnk. ^ h^ « Noiy t}]iere was at Damascus adiscipk-Mmed ^Ananias, whom the Leid in a vision directed to ^o ^l»the«tre^t Utat im (;aUed gtirait; ao^ thfve iR 900 4mnies ^fint. to Smh ^the house of J[ad|us, ig H^eji; (of Saul of Tar$W9 : Jbr. h^iiolid he prayelh. AtM^ias 9nswered, Lord, | h^ye heard hy mauy of this maij, hQyf gre^t ev^t. he hatli dojpie to thj; s^mtis iA J^rusale^i : aud htjui^ he bath authoriiy from the chijef pr^a^ts, to bj^d 9}Ji; that invoke thy qam^. Ajju^the Lprd said to hun^' Gp^; for this ih^n is to me a, vess<;l qi elii^ctipn, t^ ct^ry my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel. For \ vf^\ skpw hwa hp>y;l great things he must suffer for my namV^9 siJte.-^. An4 Ananij^S:. lyei^t his ^Bf anid entered iioit^ the^ 'hpusie, ^nd layj^ his hands upon hi)[a, he said, ^Brdthet Sau\, the Lord Ji^sus, hath se^t me, he that- . a'piS^ared to;, &e^ i^ the ji^^j; ^^^ ^^^^ Q^t^^^st,^ that^ ^thpu D^Ajf^st r^eeiye thy sight, and be fill/ed witij "the Holy tthpst. And ifl^ there fell frbii^ his eyes as it y^ere scf^les, and he received his sights < ; And A^^njas said to him. Acts, x^ii) Thci God Qf ou^^ leathers hath pre^rdain^ thee, that thpushptildst ^khdW hvs will, and spfe die Just One, aj^d shpuijiiilslt- Ifear the voice from his pfiQutfc For thpu ishalt Ibfe 'ills' witness to all men of t[hose things lyhichvtjhpu, f hast seen and heard^ And now vvHy-taxriest thbu?. Rise up, a|ijd; be baptized^ an^d ijyash t^waiy thjr sins^ ' calli^ ujpou h^s name- .:- ; ' ,« Tn^^S^^^ rising tip, was baptized: and wtenl, lie ^adtakei^' meat he Was strengthened. And he -Wa^is vritli th^ disciples; that \yere at D?4nascus for! ' sottke days. ; Ahu unmcdia^^^ ik the synago^es^ tjiat li^is tfee Son of God. And aA ' that neanihira was ^stonished^^^atid said, Is npt this^ |h(^r^hpperisecuted in Jerusali^m, ^o^p thjgtt called npoji hi| name; and cs^me hi^l^er for th?it intent, * that hfe pnight carry them bound tp.iii^ ch^fprijests^* .But Saul increased much «aore i|i streijgth, anft, confppiinded the" j^ws virhp dwelt in I)amascu8,'a|7^ ftrming indeed^, that this is the Christ, ' i r A. p , i; i« t,..ii ,5.-.'.. .. *v -•., . >rf ttj-. .1 »... .- » ,■ ' . . •.--• «»<^ « Peter tisUs iKe Chiafchk, 201 * ■•£ AAct maft^ -^ays^the .Jews Nonsuited Idgetjier' tq kill him ; and they watched the gates of the city- day and night. I^ the disciples^ taking him in 0ife night, conveys him away by the wall, letting mm down in a basket. And when he was come to! Jerasalem,. the disciples there being afraid of Him, he was introduced by Barnabas to the apostles Peter and James, and was with them dealing confidently ill the name of the Lord. He disputed also with the Grecians: but they sought his life. At which time, as he tells us, Acts, xiii, praying in the temple,' hie Was in an e^tasy or trance; and saw our Lord, imying to him. Make hadte, and get thee quickly otit of Jerusalem ; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. But to the Gentiles afar off will 1 send thee. So the brethren brought hini down to Caesarea, and sent him tiway to Tarsus, his hativCcity» » , > Crap. IXk — Feter msUs the Churches. His Jlftra- cZe5. Apts, ix. .. .' «*Mr6W the Church had peace throughout all LHI Jttdiea and Galiee, and Samaria, and. wfis edified, walkihg in the fear of the Ijbrd, and wfaS filled with the consolation of the Holy Ghost. And it'tiame to pass, that Peter, as he passed throiigh visiting all, came to the saints who dWek in Lydda. And he fouild there a certain Doi^o^is /ne full of good works and akads Whtdh't he did* • And it e^e to pabs^in y flOt Ptttt opem the Oatetk those, days, that she fell sick and died. And i^^^ ; they liad washed her, they laid her in an u^pcif^; chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was n^n to-'' Joppe, and the disciples had heard that Peter lirtTs there, they sent to him two men, desiring him that r be would not delay to come to them. And Peter rtS* '^ Jng up, went with them. And when he *waS tovaef they Drought him into the upper cfiamber: and all ' the widows stood about him weeping; afid shewed - him the coats and garments wnich Doi'Cas had^^ made for them. Then they all being put fbrth^^ Peter kneeling down prayed, and turning to ihV^ boiijy, he said, Tabitha, arise. , And she opened^faet'- eyes, and seeing Peter, sue sat up. And j|iving hei; '^ his hand, he lifted her up. And when he had called f the saints and the widows, he presented her alive, - And this was made known through all Joppe : and ' many believed in the Lord. And Peter abode there ^ many days with one Simon a tanner. « Cbas. X. — Peter opens th^ Gates of the Church tq iJie Gentiles. Ac%x, " * " « "^ITOW there was in Ccesarea, a certain mai^ jj% . nained Qoniehus, a centurion of that which is called the Italian band, a religious man, and cne> that feared; pod, with all his house, who gave mueE alms to the people, and prayed to God always. This man saw iki^ a vision manifestly, about, .die ninth hour of the day, an; angel of God coming ta him, and sarong to him,. Cornelius, thy prayers and thy alms are conat^ up fi}r a memorial before Objdb And nowsetnd ineiiytp Joppe, and call hither ope Sii' mob, sanfiamed Peter, who lodgeth with one SimDir a tunoier, ;whose liouse is by the sea side. He shall tell fbeft what thoa must do^. And vfheli the angd wa| 4epif feiii, li^ f^d tiy?o.of his hotuehjii»74 «!l^ The V%9um if Comdm. to» ^>0£. T^^fi^anda noldier who fealred the Lord, of them ^ th|iVwerci under him, and when he had related all ta^them, he sent them to Joppe. ^NoW on the next day whilst thej were going on Aeir jotirney, and drawing nigh t^ the city, Peter went up to the house top tq pr^y, ahout the sixth hour: and heing hungry, he was desirous to taste somewhat. And as uiey were pi^paring^ he fell into an extasy of mind: and' he saw heaven cpened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a ^A% sheet let down hy the four comers from hea- ireHH^to the earth, wherein were all manner of four- footed blasts, and creeping things of the earth, anfi fowls of. the air. Aiid there came a voice to him, R|9ej Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Far be it from me, Lord ;< for I have never eaten any thing thfki is common or unclean. And Uie voice spoke. tohuElfi ^ain. What God hath cleansed^ do not , thou call common. Now this was done thrice ;r^ and presently the vessel was taken up again into heaven. And whilst Peter was doubting within hiniself what this vision should mean> behold the men who wer^ sent from Comeiius, enquiring for Simon's house, stood at the gater Aiid tnQjii^ked^ if jSunon.-.sumamed Peter, lodged there ^AlMl tfaQ S[iArit said to Pet^r, Behold three men seek thee: Ajrbe, therefore) get thee ^oyrtk, and go with them» nothing doubting; for I have sent t^enn* Thenr Pet(p)t going down to the roeQ, sajjdi Behold I am he wliom you seek: what is the cau^ for wMch. you. are.tome? A|id they said, Cornelii^ii fi ceiifurii0n, « juft man, and one th$t feareth G64> apd thatJhatfat good testimony from all the nation of the JewSy received an order from an holy ang^l to send for th^einta/his house,, aqd to hear wdtds of thee« Tlpiai bringing thetti in, he lodged ti^m. And t^e digr.fi»lloimgJ^ frose an4 we^t vvilitlibtiiik; ,«imI i «i J^&i The Ftnon of Oomdm, li j^me of the brethren froifi Jdppe accdm^$4i(|} failfl.' '-- 'r; «c. 1'he morroi^ after he entered into G«i9atea. Now Cornelius wailed for them, and had eftHe4:tpf gsther his kinsmen and near friends. So W&(yt> eter was come in, Cornelitis came to meet hicA^ atid falling at his feet worshipijed^ But Peter lifted him up, saying. Rise, I myself also am a man. Aiid ais he talked wit^ him he went in, and fdtihd maiW that were come together: and he said to theiii, Y^ know how that it is an unlawful thing for a Ihaii 'tliat.is a Jew, to keep company or to eome t^otif of another nation. But God hath shewed me tliMr 1 should not call anjr man common ,rd had cpininanded him. So Peter began and pr^ched^td theoi'thei hsifi Jesiis : « H6W • Gbd ahointed him "with the BxtXf Ghok and Vith- power; and how he went tJeadfit d6lh^ good, and heMing aiU that Were oppxcssedf Hy the' fkviU for G^od wast with him^ And we ^i^ witnessed, ^aid he,' of all things that he did in Uie kind«f th<5 J^ws And Jenisalehi; whcmi ^y ki&ec^ habglftg him ^»n ii ^tree. Him, God raMisd iip iht Ihird d6yv ^^^ g^ i^ hini to bfe tnad^ fni^nifi^st n^i to^ th^^^bple, btitr to wituesisea t^-ordainea W dfcKl, ^veA to us, who did eat and drink with Min^^ir h«>reiBe af ata ^ftow the dl^ad.^ And h^ dkymbinndl^dms U "pveichWI^^^ people, and to iteft^ liQr, that tt is he wholi^ Itppointed by 4rad 4ocbe itidge bbth <)f ^Hlvinff' ana^of the dead. To hvA «l%#£:pr0{diet» 'fi9< testimony, thAt^thmugh It^ It ' \ lifted Aiid tnaiy », Y^ ■ man- 6otlf ' c Walk : I wats I •on*- ^ I ttiat ' him. alidttt' dflly io tlie^ d w Farther Prdgreti of the Church. SM ll$ii[)e, aU who helieve iii him receive remissi3n ioff ^ * ■« While^teter was yet speaking these words^ tih© . fioly Ghost fell on all of them who heard the Yiord. . 4Ad thcfy that came, with Peter were astonished, (or ikmt the grace of the Holy Ghost was poured out iipbn the Gentiles also. Por th^^ lieard them sneaking with tongues, and magnifying God.^ Then Peter said, Can any man forhid water, that these should not be Da]^tized, who haVe received, the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to W baptized in ^ name of the L9rd Jesu$ Christ. Theh tiiey desired him to tarry with theq^ some days.* " ' C%LAP.XtI«^^jmW Progress i^the Church rnnon^ the QentiUs.^ Acts, xi. row they who had been dispersed hj the \r persecution that arose on the occasion of . ^^phen, went about as f^ as Phenice^ and Cyprus, and Aiitioch, speaking the word to none but the . ^ews. JBut some \)f them were m^n of Cyprus and . Cmne, who, when they were entered into Antiochy . Spoke also to the Greeks, preaching the iiord Jesus. ^nd the iiand of the X^rd was with them; sinct a £:iP2^t numbej; Jbelieying,; i^r^re converted to the 6rd. And the tiding came to the ears of the ^ Churth that was at Jerusalem. And. they sent Bai&abas ^ far as ^n^och; who, wb^n he was^ flpme, and had ^een tli^. grace of God, rejoiced* • And lie exhorted them all/tyith purpose of heart to , continue in the Lord. For he was a good manj upA full of the Holy Glipst and bf faith. And r gmt multitude was ad^ed to the Loi^. , ;i ,,« And Barnabas mn!t to Tarsus to seek 3«^!; hm vrhen he h^ foUnd him,'he broufMJ>iiiiii^a j^ltlpch, And they conversed there inm C^areli S I" 206 i Itefodperi^cidesihe Churctn aiwhbfcyfeatV «i(l they taught a great nfulfiiSfe SO that at Antioch the cUsciples wex;e first named 'Chmiiaas. ::•• '• '• ■^.f' ' ':.^' '^•:^^', :.:;/; :. ;;'. « In those diayiSth^re came ipi^^hralRr6hi'je^ ^''lialem tii Antioch. ^ And one or tliem named Aga- hus, nsing ap, signified by the Spirit, thiit th^ should he a great famine over the Whole worM, which ean^ie to jpass under Claudius^ And the dis^ V eiples, every dne ticcording to his ability^ reisblved j to sicnd relief to the brethren who dwelt in Judea, ^ which also they did^ sending it to the ancients by ' the hajids of Barnabas and 'Saul»» 4- .-.i , ■^' h Chap, Xlt^r-HfiTifi^^grqfpap^s^cuies iheChurth. T?-- Peter isdelUfereabiim Jingeh Acts^ xfii ^ « AT the same time Hierod tiie. kinff stretched *r ; j^li^ forth ^ iii^nd to afflictsome df the Church. ' And he killed James the bbther of John ilft^ t^e sword. Andileeipg it pleased the Jews, he procieed- ed f^irther fo take up Peter alsc^ And when he hfld apprehended hin^, he cast him mto prison; ddiver- ing him tafonr files Of soldiers to be kep(^ hitend- ^ ing after the pasch to bring him forth to the p^o- ^ pie* So Peter wa» kept in prison. But pravier was n]^e without ceasing by the Church tb God " Ibrhim^ >.£^.Ij:at.^5ar/r- '« Now when Herod Would haye brought hua^ forth, t^ saine night Peter was sleeping between • two soldiers, bound with two chains^ and the * keepers before the door kept Che prison.' And ^ behold; an angel of the Lord stood by him, aiid a ^ light It^ed in the room; and he Btrtkmg Pelierdn the rkht side,* raised him ftp, saying, Arise. up ; ouiekly. And the chains fell off from his hands. f Asid the angel said to hkii, Gird thyself, ^nd piit dn i>^y sandals. And be^dtd so. .Attdhisaidto hixki,< Piter delivered frim^ Priton. 201 Cj^.tb,^ pxnaent ajbottttheeyand follow me. And.^ gp^og oiHJ he followed, Ijiim: aiid he l^new not that ^ wrhat was 4one by the angel was true; but he-^ thpttght he saw, a yisiipn. And having passed: ^ tlm)ugh the' first and second ward, they came to the ^. iron gate that'leaffcth'tb the city, wnich ©rit^ielf* opened to theii^* And going-out he passed on Uiroueh on^e street;^ aDd.lp(imediat«Iy the a^gel l^^-y parteq from him.. « And Peter coining t0 himself said, J^ow I know ip very deed, that theX^ord hath seht hiis angel, and - hatk delivelred me out of the hand of ^Herod, and' f^m all the expcctatioiiof. the people of the Jew^. And considering, he came to thejiouse of Marjr; thje^ n]|0ther df John, wlio was surnamed Mark ; whidre mahy were 'gadiered together, and praying. And yfhf^Xi ne knocked at the door, a^^daBpisel cajn^ to . h^airken/ whose name wi^}^^ ^xad as sdon ks f shtKheV,Peter*8 voice, she 0peite^;not the^atb for jo?y, but runniidg iii, she told that Vkjiif stoqjchbefere ; f the gate. 6ut they said to * hefj^thpu att madi ^j But she aifirmed it was So. Tltertlsaid'they, It'^is ,^^ his angel. Mt Peter continued ^objpng. 'J^d : when they had opened they saw him, andwCTe / astonisheu. But he beckoning to them with tiis ' liand to hold their peace^ tpld them how the Lbrd .* had. brought him out of prison; and he said T^li these things to James and to the brethren. And^^ going out. he went to another place. * * « Now when day was come, there was nostnall : * st&r amongst the soldiers, what was become of Peter, /J Aiid when Herod had sought him, and found him : n6t, he ordered the keepers to be put to death. » , ^This prilice did not long survive this persecution. ' ^1^ going down to Caesarea, iihd there makinsan oration in his rojal robes to thi deputies of thicTy- l&is and Sidbnians, whilst tiic people shouted out, '0 f08 Said and BamaUa It is the ro!ce or a Qod and nbtof a maiii,' Ke'^ upoh the spot struck by an angel of the LoM, %e4 causft he had not given the glory to God; andbefiij^' eated up by worms, he gave up the ghost But t^ WQjrd of Gdd increased and inultipled. ■^( €ha». XIITr— ScrtiZ and Bamahaa tmd ierii forth ^ thelhly QihoeU Tlieyfreach in Cyprw^ Pi^u^ a^ Zivcooma. Acts,, xtti, xiv. '^^' "MTOW there were in the Ch^rch at Antioch, pitJK X s i^hets and teachers, among whom was Bar* nabas, arid Simon Nker, and Lucius ofCyrene^ani, Mahahen, who was foster brother of Herod the Te-*' trarch, and SauL And as. tfiey were miiuisterihg to the Lord, and fastingy. the Hofy Ghost said to them, Separafb me SauLaiiid Baniabas foir tjie work whereuntp I have ta^eii thena. Then thiej* fasting, and pray^, and imposing th^ir hainds upon them, sent them, away. Se they^ being sent by the Holy Ghost, went co Sieleucia; and Iroin thence they sfdle^ to Cyprus. Here thev pxeached the . word qC God in Saiamis, the capital citv; and hav- ing passed through the whole island, they came te^^ Faphos* Here Sergius Paulus, the procoQsul or governor of the country, a prudent man, sent for them, de- siring to hear the word of God. But Barjesus, a^ Jew, a false prophet and magician, withstood theni, ' seelong to turn away the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Qhost, looking on him, said, O full of all gu|l^ and . 4eceij^ thou child of the devil, and enemv <^^ justice,, wilt thou not cease to pervert the rignt way»> of the Lord:? And now behold the hand of the ' I^ord is upon thee, and thou shalt be bliod, nqt!^ •eelDg tb« ittOi fi»r a time. 4nd unmediately there^ %-] ■ fT ^ ^■'. sentfotihhy the Hoty Ohoa(» Woii bitaa^mist aiid darkness, and ht went al Seeking some one to lead him by the hand. T t((e proconsu],:when.be had seen what was d( ^lilieyed, admiring utihe doctrine of the Lord. !lB^rom Papjos, Paul and his company sailed t^r Per^c, the capital 'cit/\ of Pamphiha; and from •^. thence they proceeded tO'Ahtioch, the capital city c^f Pisidia. in this city thejr converted niany J*ws,^^ ' bftV oiany mox!e Gentiles; iaiid th6 word of the , liOrd was published through the.wholeeountr^r.;^ ^t the unbelieving J^ws ceased not to persecute 'i t|& apostles, till they drove them out of their coasts; ;. but the disciples were filled wil^ joy and with the ; ]^o^ Ghost. - ( jFroiin Antioeh thej[ travelM to I' a^d (^ the Greeks did believe. But the unb6liev«^ log Jews stirred up and mcehsed the minds of the > Gentiles against the brethten.^ A lone time there- ^ fqie'^ey^ abode there, dealing confictentl^ in the • LBrd: who gave testimony to the word of his grace^ £^ntin^ si^. and wonders to be done by their « fa^nds. And die multitude of the. city was divided; ' af^d JsOQie^ of them held with the jTews^ but some With tlie apostles.' And when there was an assault i niade bythe Gentiled, andby the Jews with their; v rdlers, to.use tUem coniumeliously^ and to stone >. them; they fled- to Lystra, and Derbe, cities of: Ly- > caonia, and weret there preaching the gospel, and in > thf whole country round about ^«.Now there sat ascertain man at Lystra, im- » po|ent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother'^ : >iM^bj who never had walked. This same heard / Paul, speak; who looking upon him, and perceivins f t^l^.h? Had faith to.be healed, said wit|i^avloi|4^ dia 9mii and Bamaboi, i^e* ▼oice/ Stand up right on thy feet. Am) He UhpkB''' up, and walked: And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up tneir voice in tbe^ Lycaonian tonsue, saying, Tne Gods are coroo down to us in the likeness of men. . And they called' • Barnabas Jujpiter; but Paul Mercury, because ha was the rhier speaker. The priest aisO' of Jupiter th^t was befpre the. city, bringing oxen and ^ar-^^r lands belbre the gate, would have offered sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles Barnn- . bas and Paul had heard,, rending their dothef, the/' leaped out among the people, cryinff out and saying, * Ye men, why do ye these things? We also are ^^ mortals, men like unto }[ou, pveachinff to y^ou to bo ^ converted from these vain things to the living God^ . who made heaven and earth, &c. And saving these things, they scarce restrained the people ironi ' •aerifieing to them. ' ;-■ « Now there came to* Lystra certain Jews frorii^ ■ Antioch and Iconium, who persuadjed the people^ ^' and baviiu^ stoned Paul, drew hiin out of die eity,, thinking him to be dead. But as the discipleii ^ stood round about him, he rose up and entered into. < the city. And the next day he departed with Bar* ^ nabas to Derbe. And when they bad preached thi^ {' gospel to that citji and had taught mainy, they i«- 1 turned again to Lystra, and to Icoi^um, and to ^ Antioch of Pisidia confirming the souls of ^e dls^ : ciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faiths - and that w$ must through many tribulations ehtei? ' into the kingdom of God. And when they had Or^s dained priests in every church, and had i>#ayed withi fasting, they recommended them to the Lord in . whom they Ibelieved. And passing through Pisidiit^^ they came into Pamphilia^ and haying sp^entbap woro df>theX^ in Perge, ih^y went down to kti lalia; tod thcnco they s«fl«4 W AoHifftik^^MifAt mifk Ccuneil of JlmuaUm* 911 baylpif aisembled the Church, they related ivhat grei|( ttuDga God had done with them, and how he Eadppcned the door of faith to the Gentiles. « Cb4p* XW.^^The Council of Jerjusahm. Paid vmU the Churchfit; and carries the Faith inta oihcr Frovince$. Acts,'xy, xvii. AT this time some of the sects of the Pharisees, who had come over to ^e fftith, maintained aeaiast Paul and 3amabas, that the converted Gen- tuef eoiiU opt be saved, e]^cept they were circum- cised, and conformed themselves to the law of Mo- sesr This controversy save occasion to the holdineJ a giHieral council of the apostles and artcients m Jcj^dsalem, in which it was' unanimously decreed, thi^t 00. such'hurthen should be laid upon the faith- full; jbiit polj that they should write to them, to; alistaia fvibm things sacrificed to idols, and from blQpd, and firoi^ tmQgS strangled, and from fomica* tiojjj jfhene decrees were brought to Aqdoch by Paul anil Barnabas^ with whom, the couqcO sent their (W9 deputies, Judaa iand Silas, leadijag men anK>ng8t the brethren^ with, a ^odical epistle addressed to th$. converta of ijie ueptiles at Antioeh, and in Syiia and Cilicia; wblsh epistle, when read to 1^ nq^ltitude of the faithfiil, gave them great joy and consolation. Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, comforted the brethren' with many w^rds, and confirmed them. And after they had spent some time there, Judas returned to Jerusalem ; 1q|t:i|t seemed good to Silas to remain at Antioeh. ■rAiter some days Paul proposed tc lamabas, that th^y Btkould return and visit the brethiep in all tho. €mi»p vhei^itt they had i»«ached the word of the JLitpfdr But ^pon some difference of 6eniiment8« l^Ml r^g«4 to thi taking with them John Mark> , 1 m^ Paul sent to Macedorm* »g; i! who before had left them, they separated one frqip;^' the* other. And Barnabas taking Mark, sailed^fdr Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas, and>departed, bein recommended by the.brethen io the grace of G And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirniin^ the churches, and commanding them to keep the grecepts of the apostles and the ancients. When e came to Derbe* and Lystra, he found there a disciples whose name was Timothy, to whom the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium gave good' testimony. Him Paul to/>k along with hitn for the ; work of the ministry . And the. churches in those parts were strengthened in faith, and increased in^, number (kily^ ! Prom hence the^ apostle carried thib gospel into 1 the provinces of Phrygia and Galatia. The parti- ; eulars of these expeditions are not recorded bjr St.; lyiike injthe Acts; but the apositle himself has told t u^, with regard to the Galatians, Gal. iv, that they : received'^ him as an angel of God, even as Christ; hiMself; and this with so much affection, that if it^ could have been done, they would even have plucked; out their own eyes, and would have given them t6 ' him* Some Jewish teachers sought afterwards to \ bring them under the law of Moses, and to persuade ' them to be circumcised.' Which was the .occasion ; ©f St Paul's writing his epistles to the. churches of Galatia; by which they were set right in.'this ' matter, and, taught to, stand in their ' Christiaii li- berty. . After the preachers had jgdne through Phrygi^ • ai!d Galatia, and were forbicflen by the Holy Ghost : to preach the word in Asia Minor, they came into^ Mysia. Andiwhen they were there, they attempted, to go into Bithynia; but the-spirit of Jusus suf- ' fered them not; S6 • passing through Mysia, they ! i^Tjent down to' Tro^s. And here a "vision w?lf^ a laid whic the ^ Ji't^K'^* .*-ifc»-i. «rf* jp*'**'^ - > »iX »<' Paul dtad Silas in Prison. flS **^-*»,** mlWediio Pail irt the nigHtJ by Which he was in- viteci. to pass over into Macedonia, and to help them theVe. ; ■.. ^-^^:^J^^ , , "^ _ 'Xo follow this diviiii call, they sailed from Troas» baying LuKe in their con^)any, and landed at Phi- li^jpi, the chief city of that part of Macedonia^ and a Roman, colony. Here by their preaching they laid the foundation of that flourishing church, to which the apostles gives such great encomiums, in the epistle he afterward$ wrote to t^hem, when he wai^in bands at Rome. But here, as almost every wererelse, they inet With afflictions andperSecu-^ tio'ns: and^this upon the following occasion: « Aa we went out to prayers, says St. Luke, Acts, xvi, a certain damsel, possessed with a sp^it cf divin&tion, ' or pjetending to tell fortunes, wliich brought her mastei^ much gain, followed Paul land us^ crying^ out. These men are the servants of the Most HigE God,, who shew you the way to Salvation. And this she did many days; till Paul being grieved^ tuj!;ne4^nd said unto the Spirit, I conimand thee in the naine of Jesus Christ to ge^ out from her. And^ he went out the same hour. But h was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the^ prison were shaken. And: pre- sently all the n fhemj tlic Holy Ghost came ufpdh thehi, and t|iey spoke wilb tongues, and prophesied. Now they were in all ftbput twelve men. -'. : • ^ put Vefore Paul was come to Ephcstis, thei«e came thither a certain Jew named AjrolloS, a Na- tive of AleKHiidria, an eloquent man, and 0!)e. mighty in the scriptures. Th& man was instruetJed in the way df th% Lord; and beine fervent in $^^% -spoke «nd taught diligently the things that are- cK the Lord Jesus, knoi\ing only the baptism of John. This man tUerefore begait to speak boldly ih 4li^ synagogue. Whom wh^n Prtscilla and Aqtiila had heard, they took him to them, aiid expounded^to him the w*ay of the Lord more diligently. ^ -m^ whereas he was desirous to go to Achaia, ^e bre- thren wrote to the disciples to tecmebimSWIi^ 'ivhen he was come to Corinthj helped them mUekf ti'ho had believed. For with much vigotiri he con- vinced the Jews publicly, shewing by the^ilpturci^ that Jesus is the Christ. ' - ,' xi .1^ • But now Piiul being eome to Epheisiiis,' ftir tl* space of three months, he spolic boldly in the sytia^ gpgue, disputing and persuading- the things cqif- (cemtig the kingdoi^ df God. But wheA- semie "were hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil ^f the way bf tlie Lord before the iftuUitude,: he de- parted from them, and separated the dll^ipies; dis^ pitting daily in the school of one Tyrrtnntis. And this continued.for the space of two years; st> that all Ither wibo dwelt ih Asia heard the wprd.df the* Loti^, botli Jews and GentileS; And God Trrought mid- cles b^ the. hands of Paul. So that even (»er« -were tnrougiii handkercliififs oJr aprons from -liis body to» a do( 4i(ln^ 1Kit3l im nj ^ Bwitfc thefe a tia- id t)!|C are oi" f Jobtt. ih Oi^ [Ha had to he bir*- he cen^ . , *^ (brthfe 5 evil 0f he dei- es^ die^ . And that atl it iftil*- re-were body to* Pmd]s Lahonri and Sitg^erings, SIO iiie i^ick; and the diseases departed from them, and the Wicked spirits tyent out from them. Now some also of the Jewish exorcists, that went ahout^ attempted to invoke over them, that had evil spirks, the name of the Lord Jesus ; saying, I ad- jure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven men, sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, that did this. But the evil spirit answering^ said to them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know: but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spi« rit was, leaping upon them, and mastering them, fotced Uiem to flee wounded and naked out of that house. Aiid this was known to all the Jews and Gentiles that dwelt at Epbesus; and fear fell upon them all; and the naine of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many of the believers came con- fessing, and declaring their deeds. And many of theiia that had followed curious arts, brought their books together,^ and burnt them before all; and counting the price of them, they found the money to be fifty thousand pieces of silver: so miehtily grew the word of God, and was strengthened both in the city of £phesus, and in all the provinces of Asia Minor. >- In the mean time the envy and malice of devils and men ceased not to raise violent persecutions against the apostle, {as he declares, 1 Cor. xv, 31,^ si, and 3 Cor. i, 8, 9,) till upon occasion of the .tumult of the silversmiths, he took his leave of Ephesus, and set forward to go into Macedonia, y Chap. XVU-.-^PauVs Lahovrs and Suj^ings, H|& apostle went from Ephesus to*Troas, for the gospel of Christ, 2 Cor. ii, 12, &.c., where a door was opeuied to him in the Lord. But as he 4lid not fmd Titus hb brother, whom he expected T2 5220 FtfuTf Adiouni of kU 8t{ff'mng9» ttom Corinth, lie had no rest in his spirit; Iwrt bidding them Ikrc well, he went frotn theiac<^ to Maceck>hia. However he gives God thanks, that in every place where he came, he caused him to .triumph m Jesus Christ, and made manifest fh« iWcet odour of his knowledge by him, to his oitii greater glory, and th^ salvation of souls. Btit as Ihc labours of the apostles every where poducfed ^at fruit, so were they every where rewarded with tribubtions and pei'secutions. And thtts wlieh he had left Ephesus (where he says lie hfid fiizght 'against beasts, was pressed out of measure pbone his :*trengtki and died every day,) and was to come, to Macedbr^ia ; « our flesh, says he, 2 Cor, vii, still h^ iio rest, out we buffered all tribulation; coffihsfs ^thout, fears within. » In the eleventh chapter of the same epistle he gives a short aiccount of the sufferings he every ^hcre met with, « in labours, prisons, stripes above measure, &c. Of the Jews, saith he, I five t^mei! received forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beatm with roids; once I was stoned; thrice I suffered vhipwreck; a ?ight and a day I was in th^ depth of die sea. In jouiiieying often, in perils of waters, in;perils of robbers, in perils from my oWn nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils m the city, in penis in the wildemess, in perils in the sea, in perili^ from false brethren. In labours and painftil- ness, in watchmgs often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and hakedness; besides thos^. things that are without; my daily instance, or what presses, Upon me daily, my 8olicitU(|^.f6r all th« thurches. Who i^ weak, and I ani not weak? Who is scandalized, and I aih not on th^? &^k So he, Ic^g before his course of sufficrin^p was edme near its end. In Macedonia the apofftle was not idle, but weAt C PayVz Jfnameytq Jtsrii^falem. ni s icf to s, t^at htm to St the is oitti But'id )ducfed varded I whch ftiugkt omc to tillh^ tic be evfery 3 above c tjmeF beatm luifered i depth waters, nation, city, irt sea, in painflil- lirst, in iS those. or tvbat all th« t weak? as^ine >ut weiit fV!^ thoae part3, risitt^g fill the charches, and ^« Mitin^^em with many >9ordss and th^^ he caiXMk intp Acliaia, lyhere he spent tliree toionths at Co^ tiWi in his iiGCttstomed ^ii^ercises. From Corinth ke. wrote his epistle {q the Epmans; whose /oi^^- i^ Ba(ys, viat apdj^n of in^l\^ Vfhole vfoM lie telb, theiipL, be had iong aiesired to see them; ixit h^A. boon kept awiLjj irom them till now,il)iX ^^» ^Nvr$i iin^tbe e^HBtem ^ouiilries; where, by .tiie virtue pf fdffBsjknd wonders in th^, Holi^ ,Ghp8t> lie had re-: pwisned tbe gqspel ,ot* Chiist, irpm j[eru$alem roun4 about aflEtr astplllyripum^; ]put that nowx ba^iiig no mor^ place ip thp&e countries, jEM^d b^ving tis^.a great desire these many yeaj^^pa^^to com to them, he hoiked by the will of Ood t<^ se¥i|the|pa in (lis w^y to Spain, and to o^ake some stay with'tb^m: ]pu}wi,Dg, as he (Says, that be sfhpuld come to Win- ill the abundancie of the. blessings pf t^f go^P^ pf plirist: « jPjit n9w, » i^yshe, fj shall so to Jerifsa- iem, to minister to the saint^. I^'or it hatt pleased them flf JVIaqedonia and ^chais^, to make a eontri- budoi^ ibr the poor aniong tb*^ .Sainlft that are »| Jenmdem, iStc. Wl^en, th^relTo^e, I sball have ac* coomlisM tins, and consigned ta th^m .this fruit»'> I, witi como by you into Spain. » jnpm* i;v* . £te conc^Judes t&is epistle with f^nu^j^er ofsa- lutatiphs; by nfhich it appesdrs ther? >vaj^ a very nuiiiero\3is alnd 49urishi.ng Cjiurcjh a^t Spme, lipng, ' lyeiWe St. Pau) camiejthitbe^r; and, among tjl^eii^« ciome that had been Cbristi«|^ ^efoi^ th«aj^^i^ bimsel^ Ron^. x^i,.7* ' "" .'•'•.' "j ■.. , ""• *; Chap. XyiIJ.-^Paurs Journey to^Jmisalerii^f . J-.' ■ Acts, XX, xxi.. ,^■' V • ' -, HjIRQM Coriiitb, Paul to avoid tbjc dn^gi^r fron^ JF the JeWsi wbpk laid in wait for bin) as, he waii, i^boiji^t to sail into Syria, retun^d mtq^ Maccdo^ia^)^ IRfif "PduVi^ Exhcrlation, fyc» Ar.d from tbence he sailed to Troas M'Hb htlK^ iik his company; where we abode^says this li^^ writer, seven days, u And* on the first day of the week, (the Lord a days,) wheYr we were assemt^ed^ to bi'cak bread, Paul discoursed withvthem^bffln^ to denart on the morrow, and he contifiujed hS: vpeecli until midnight And there 'was m great mimber of lamps in the upper chamber wbete #ie ^f^re assembled. Now a cettaSnf jrotith, named' KuiychttS), sitting on the window, b^ih^ oppressed* with a deep steeb, (as PAul>wask>ng preacnm^,) by' ooeasion or his sleep feH from the third loft dov^, and was taken up dead. Then Paul wei^t dbwtl; to him^ and laid bimself upon him; and 'c^m- bracing him, he said. Be not troubled; ibr bis sdul' is in mrn; Then going up, and breaking bripad^ ;vnd fastin^i he continued, ro talk a long time (o- th<^m linti) day-lisht, and so departed* And ti)^yi brought tiie youth alive, and were not alittlQ c<>A^ Ibrted. ^ ' 'v « Then PatiJ. going aboard' the shfe, sailed Ib^ Miletus; and fVom thence sending to Bpb^stis, W$i' called to him the ancient»orthe>ChuF^h, 'and iB94die to them the following discourse. Youilmow jiVom; the first day that 1 came into Asia, ki what manner I have 'been ^itbyou for all the tim«; serrift^^Ae, Lord with all bufliiKty^ arid with tear^s^ and t«in^ tlitions, i^ich befel me by the conspifaeies of toe, Jews^. Hbw' I have kept back, uptbii^ thatrHras* profitable to yotirbut have prea<^ed it'toy<>!|,'attd'' taught you publicly, and from house to house;; testify ipg both to Jews and Gentiles, penarice^to- wards C^d, and faith in our Lord' Jesu» 6hrifrff. — And now, behold, I go bound 'in the ^jpiut; to Je-. I'usnlem; hot knowing the tbings that snail befi^ ibe there: save that the Holy Ghdst- in evtery cily witnestfetb to m^, saying, That hands and afflioyickiis^ ¥ttil 4tfHf^^ ¥^ Jsrusalcm. '^^i 1 fe«r none of ify-i #^iinqi»et.4 injr. life fivoreppo^oj inan myseif, so that I m;^•€0Qs^mmf^^. niy coucsiju «r«Pe of Gp4 ;...«{> j;,af y Kv ,^;., 'J :., ,j M« And .nwi>cholft IjK^gi^.ili^f all you, taapji ivhoin I hay^ gone prc;achip2 U)6 lyn^dom (^ Uod^ fih^l( see my ^e no n^pre. Wheiie&re 1 taSe yoa iA ^iljness this day,.that I a^ j:lfsar from^tl^e plood cjf ^'a})r ip^y yifpit- J hinve not jBmed to deela|e ^ yOUra!j)'>the.eoun?el of God. %%i&\efd tq^yoof- jKelir^8,^iHi,ip.th§ whole flqck, wherefn Uie VoXj Qho^hiB^h)^\i\te^^ bishops ^ rule (he Churcl^ <^,'Gpd,mlu^ he haj;h fmrchase^'.wjth hi's^.pivjii yop4. i feioiv tbiit jvfier Bij; 11 tilie fi?^nctig|ji.: 7 liA^y^: fiftyii^»4:W>y map's sftvpr th»gs,ii th#t sosiftbQwpg ye Plight 40- mmd ^ cyf^m m^'i^Ti^mmW the word P? tl^e,,J{|^rd ^(g^^ljg^ « And when he had said iliesie tlVi9£?^i .^Ji^¥9JI^ down, he prayed with them all. Ana there was much weeping among them all ; and falling on the- Q^qk of Paul they kissed him, being grieved most Vi $idU into Spain: .*( a ill fbr the word ifhich he bad MidV AmM^ ^ ittld ieie bjli fiice no more. |iib on hit wiy U> the tliip. •^*' ' ""» v^- ' IffMitokiinie Fiul tailed Into %ia, «hd liMi fd iVni; iHkcr« he tarried teven dwf with hiir^i ciplii^ wh« taid tp hino,,t>rp^ the Sp^lt, mt M #^lfl W go ub to Jferutalem. Thto de^^artiog We ifm fotwiird, aiiva St. Lult0^ thi^ fdl briH^hk tai on our way, ivit^^their i^ivei atM. children, tm wc were ottt of thfe ti<^; and wckncwcd d6iai4 ^ the chore;^ and yr^ pra^eid, A^ i^^n yte b|id bid oQ< ii^het fiir^ctl, We took 'ahip; ai^d 'ctikfting W^ icame to <:)'acsar^a. And eiitefi^g' ttito'^e bduiia of Philip th6 evangcliat, who Avfts bhfe of &c actesi ifbil deacona, Wei aboiAe with hinii Aiid U b:^ Ib^ daughters, vir^ns' Who did fiinoiAi^. And th^^ cs(i3^ from Jud^, wrhiie w« xm^i then^i tho Mpx^h^ A;s-abtiij; Whb too^ Paiir^^ girdle j a)»d biha'^ ^s^m, ip^^iti^iy he said, Th^it^li'^ IV 0hoat;' The ihan Whose ^Uthia%,'th« 9cMb shall' bifid in ibis manner at Jer^awttii«nd ^faaQ dleb^er^ hM into the hai^ds of'tfa^e GeiK^Icfik HM Wb^n we had hcfard this, both Wtf, afid the^ jflp #ere of thaft plabe, desired hinU, thathi Wotdd Mijb lip tp Jehisalem. Then I'a^V ansW^in^ flttd iaftL Wh^t dd you jpd^an, we^^ping, aiid ilflliairtf %^^heat^? tor 1 «m read^ not binly t» bfe btfunid, bUft to die alto' in^J)^r«iaIem, for tbe natxie ^f^the IjM ;re8Us, Ai^ when we eo^ild not peiiuad^ him, ^e^eas^, Haying, t'he will of the 'L^«!U rbcdvcd him' ^ i? -t. . » ,fir ( fiM ) 9^^ IDhap. 1^\,^Paur$ •Appr€he^non and ImffriionmaUti^ Hi drfendt himself before Felis and Feitutfth^, Govemort, Acts, xsi. &c A FT£R somv days, when Paul w^i inihe tem- . nle, certain JqU$ of Asia seeing biin tiere^ fitirred up all the people, and Uid hands ^poo him, eryipg out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man ^t teaches oilmen every where against the peo-. t)ie and the law, and this place: and moreoTcr bath. Drou«:ht in Gei|tHcs into the temple,, ftna hath violat*" ^ this holy placed* For they had seen Trophimus, the Epbe&ian, in, the city >vith him, whom they supposed that Paul had broug'ht intq the temple. And the >^'hole city viras in an, uproar; and the i)eople ran togel- er. And taking ruul, they drew mm Out of the temnlo. And as they went aUout Xo kill him, it was told the tribune, who command- e<2 the troops in the ccij&tle, that all Jerusalenci was in confusion. \Vhp forthwith taking lyith him i>Q|diei'$ and centurions, ran down to thepi. And wheQ they saw the t^bupe apd the, soldiers, they kft 00* beating Paul. » Tb^a the tribune too]|[ hiivi, and commanded, (lim to be bound with ^a chains: aAme. Now* when it was cfay, more than forty of iht Jews gathered together, and bound theinsetVeSs wi^h an oath, that theiy would neither eat noi?<3rink till thfiy had lulled' Paul. Of which when the tri^ bune had b^n informed; he sent away Paull^y night; gimrded by a detachment of m^die)^, to Felit the goyernorat C2esfitrea; and' gave notice to Mb. accusers that they should go dowii and plead before the goverhor^-^ v^^v * Aftei* five days Ananias the high pHesty. ^fli" numt others of the ancients ^ going down, acctised Paul before the governor, of t»aiiing sediti<>ns anftmg the Jews throughout the world, *and df being the author of the sedition of the sect,' As they dftlK!d>it), o£the Nazarenes; andthathehftd alsagone abouit PatabeJwl^S'kliit. ..J:^: ^sm M())«Q£tne ibe temple: coittpbuiiiii^- witli^ oiJ^y^ muikit tribiuae, for hairing >viokni:lx'U^en him.^^^P^ of itlueii^ihaiida^' wbco^tfic^i-w/ould bave judged h^ , mtcooAin^ to: theij?t]tt»*i:^^ Bn^Paul^anaweriM nvmr . ^kied hi»::tnnoQeiK:e, a&^t9 uSk that tbeyjiU^^ged ,9gaiii9t Jum^'pcofessiiigat. the same, tiin(!ijiiisf^t^^ in Christy hi^.beliefu)^ the scriptures, aild.of ji.iie'r €un!eciion:.and jt^dgment to come; iti expectatiqa i»fLWjhicb he; atu^ed always to have a cQnsciciyysi^ void of offence towards God and towards man* r f?i!tFeli^.ha;!ving heard botli sides,, put them ofiT^i^ay- ingt Wheii;Lysias the tribune shall come down« I jiivilUhear. 3^ou. And he commanded a centunon tp keei^Paul^ and.to let him be easy, and not, to .fptr |ttd..^ny-of his friends to nuni&ter to , him. . Ah4 after some days Felix came, with DrusiUa hi$ wife, iwho.'was a Jewess, and sent for Faul^aoii heard of ,him.tbe faith that is in . Jtesus .Ghri^t^ And as he treated of justice, and of chastity^ uad of the judg'- «^nt to come, FeUx being* terrined, answered, tor tjie preient go thy way,; but when I have a cQOt; Vfinienttimel will send.foc thee, ^^a^ ^ ^Che unhappy man took no further notice of tl»» 4grace^ but hoping that ixkoney would be giyen him £y;Baul^k^thim still^prisoner^ till at the end.of; two years, he was.sueceeded in the- goxerumoAt hy Porciius Festus. The Jews immediatdly ug!kt to Jerusalem, with* a design to kiJ[kh)nLin the way% Festus answered, that faul was k^pt in .Caesarea; and that he. himself would. very ^snottiLy :depad; thither; and therefore .they niig;ht go.J&OThi withKhim, and accuse him thc^e^ , Abdi^hv^Jie* ^djtariied JKdtk: them nb more thaa ei^toP'ten ,dta^&i^i^ weiitatown to Ciesama, and ^the ^next day .iieatt^iiijthoijudgment i^ait;»^imd commaiLded P^vil M \]^ brought. . And when' be wasi^ibrougbt^UiC I 1 ! m Fmil^e ^gr^pa^ J^ws' that were come down from J&t^MkmwMA «btotit him, dbjectiiig many an4 gnevdtui tceiiM^ tioniks^ vHikh they couU not {froire: while OPaid^ati^ flwered for himsdf. 'Neither against the Ivw iH$iAm Jews, nor against the temple, nor asiiiitt Cawu^ We I offenled in any thii^^ Bt^t reatub ^iUinf to do thei Jews pleasure, said to Paul, VFiltthoa go Dp to Jerusalem and therebe judged of these tiiiim before me.^ ^aul answered, { stand at CiBsairi judgment-scclft, where I, as being a Roman, oii^ to be ju<^ed, Tci the Jews, I have done no injar^Ty as thou very well knowest ; and thereibre no mati ^ay deliver me to them: I appeal to Caesar. Ifhea Festus, ai^cr he had conierred^iththe council, an^ swered, Hast thovi appealed tp Caesar? To C^ar thou Shalt go. ^ d^ftei* some days King Agrippa came down to> Csesarea, to salute Festus. And while he was there, the governoTha.'ing toldhim of Paul, he was desflt- 0U& to hear him. 80 on the next day^ when tki^ ki^ig and his ^ster were come with great pmn, and had entered into the j hall of audiehce, witln Ihfe tribunes and principal men of the city^ at the confer maudme^t of Festus, Paul was broughl: &iith; who addiiessing himself tothe t^ng, gave^^pa aniacbouttt 'of his life, and in partbular of his conversion and IMTitenlpus call to the Christian faith: and Itow in conii(<|Uence of this callv he had preached Christ ibotli to the Jews and Gentiles; teuching no otfaegr f^iiOgs than whi^ Mdeses and the prophets had fore^ liild, viz., thai CihsisI: should su^er, and should ;be t^e fical that ^ottld rise from the dqiid, and thovld ;<^litfv %hita the people and to the Gentiks, ficc, » 9T0W aa h0 waa apealdng thtsie t^gs, Festiii» idxo was A heathea ai^d % atnoigfir to^e'sfflrjptmes, ^ried only « PtiU, mn art toide tinmf ; much dolb make thee mftd% £ttt 1^ sBid>^4 PmH ship^cekcd im flu hlartd of MaUa. IS not mad, iboit excellent Festus: but I speiJt mofeds of tn^di and aabemess. For tho king kno w- crt'Of tbes^ thing*, to wbom also I jpeak mXh Mmfidence. F^r; I am persuaded that none of tihese thmgs are hidden from him. For neith^ were any oC these things done m a comer. Beliievest thou the prophets, O Kin^ Agrippa? I know that ^il hehferest. Then Agrippa said to Paul, In a little thou jpecsoadest me tp be a Christian. And PaiU said, I would to God, that both in little and in mucfa^ Rot bnly thouy hut also all that hear me this day, jiboald becQtme such as I also am* «:^cept thefie butds* » ' (' ■ in: ,i^ \^yi- i)1^^-—r^ j:'1 •r'jfryl ■{iil::..i ;^rj; Chap. XX.~-^Pai^ is shipwrecked in his vimj fe . Rwne, His drmval and Preaching there: ki$ • * Impnsmnienti his glorious Martyr dim. Acts, ' .xxrii, xxviii.; WHEN it w^ determined thai; Paul should sail into Italy, he was delivered, with oth^ pdisonns, to a centurion named JuUus, and put oiB board a ship of Adrumetum; Aristarchus the Macedonian and Luke being in the con^any.^— When they arrived at Myra in Lycia, they fimnd there a snip of Alesandria sailing into Italy, iiito which the centurion removed the prisoners. From hence thev sailed to Cf etc, with a design to winter in one of the havens of that island; but before 4hey could obtain their purpose, they were overtaken with ft violent storm, which lay upon them fourteen days; so that they gave themselvea up for lo«t«. But Paul encouraged them; assuring them, thejw shoiftkl he no loss of any man's life among them, tut ealy of the ahip% For said he, an an^el of God« whose i am, and whom I serve,^ stood qy me this Highly saFing/l^ear not, Paul* i^oxL must be brought ^^iSweCmar; and behold 6od hath given Hiee ^ ' :J| ' I i 1 A wo Pout thipwreckeS on the hkmd of, MaUd. 4l)«m that sail with thee* Wherefore^ Siis^ b^dOtf good cheer, &&c. But we must come upon k oedaali i8)an(L He al«o bosdughttliein to ttikBr8oine>t]i»iit Ibr then: health's sake^ .for ^ they ha<$ beea faatiiig Courteen^ days 4 and he himselc taking breads finil ^tin^ (hanksto^GodJA the prestnce of tkenii a;U, £egan to eat. Then were they all of better i cheer, •nd^they also took^ some meat* Now there were/ih all in-the ship, twa hundred^hveescore and siiJtttfth ■soulSi w. . ' " ' ..;',ii .^'» J u> «**to'j#i*^.i. .,'.:■ Jiiii , In. the conclusion, on^the^ fi^eehth day^ilNiving tliscoveredi land, in making towardsthe 8hbB^.tiiiv ran the ship aground, so raul was shipwreckedtfer the fourth time; but- beth Ite-and all that. were in the ship got safe to landw When we had-escafxed, «^^ St. Luke^.we knew that the island was called li^Iita, (Malta*) "Bu^ ^^^ people shewed us no smaH : courtesy.. For kindling a fire, they refreshed u&call, because of the present rain, and of the tM, < ; ^d when PauLliad^'gatliemd together a>bundle of Itick^, And had Isha them on the fire,.a barm come to him, changing their minds, tiieyiflaid, •He was a' gor^ :► ' .*- ■■'.■^iiii. • Now in these qurarters were poss^essieils lof ithe r 4Shief ^an of the island nanied Publiiif, who receiv»^ «)d4]s, and fot three day« entertained tts-conrteoo^. 'And it happened that the father of Publius Iji^ ^ek ^ a Sw^Vy ^nd of a biocMly flux; ^0 P&ulw^nbilL ifaul in l^son at'Homd* S3* •iij ^Hrklm, ahdiwhen he had prated, laid liis bands on. ilitti and healed' him* Which being done, all that had diseases ilt« the island, came and were healed; wbD also honottred, u^ with many hcAours, and when we wers t0^s4t sail j they ladcncd us with such tilings as wore necessarjit;, So after three months^ we sailed in, a ship of- Alexandria, that had wintered in the island-; and we came to Sj^racusa, where we tarried three days^ From thence compassing by tlie shore we came to Rhegium; andithe second day ttfter we arrived at Puteoli, (Puzauoli, nair Nafiles,) ivhere we found bvethreoj and were desired to. tarry with ihewi seven^ days.: And so we went to Rome. From wheiiee the brethren) having heard of us, «a»ne to ineet us as far as Apil forum, and the Three Taverns;, whom when Paul had seen, he gave tlianks to C^od, and took courage. ' " When we came to Rome, Paul^ was- suffered to dwell by himscil^ with a soldier that kept him;— - And thus foK two whole ^airs he remained a pri*- soner there in his owa hired lodging;^ in the meaa time, receiving all that came to him; preaching to them the kingdom of God, and teaching the things whieh concern the Lord Jesus Christ, wKh all con- fidence, without prohibition. Sb that if the apostle was a prisoner, the word of God was not bound:, but on the contrary, as ho tells the PhUippians, chap i, J3, 13, « The things which had. happened to him, fell out rather to^ the furtherance of the gospel: so that his bands were made manifesting Christ, in all the court of the emperor, and in all other places; and had even made converts in Nero's own house: » as may be gajthei-ed from Philip,, iv, 22, where he tells them, all the saints salute you ; especially they that are of Caesar's house- iioldi From this prison the apostle also wrote to the U2 ii i! 9S% His glorunu Jtf orf yrdbfMu fipbesians, and to the Colossiatas, vfho had bteft converted to Christ by the preaching of Epaphrag» and a short letter to Philemon, an illuntnous Chxvh tian of Colossa; recommending to his mercy and charity his fugitive servant, Unesimus, whom hn •tyled his son, whom he had begotten in his bands. ' After these two years imprisonment, the apostle was set at liberty, and returned again to his aposto<* lie labours and conflicts. Although we know but little of the particulars of them, because StXiUke pniv carries his history of the Ac^ of the Apostles to St. Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. Only f^ appears from the epistle to Titus, that St^ Maul preached in this interval in the island of Crete ; where also he left his disciple Titus, with instcuc-* lions to order the things that were wanting, and to prdain priests or bishops in every city. Titus, i. ,. ^ He afterwards returned again to Rome"; and was fkgain a prisoner there, as we learn from his secc^d epistle to Timothy. And here at length he fimsh^4 )us course by a glorious martyrdom. i t ■ ^ 1»n .-;.,,. ■^> < 'vivUvV ,.''il; -.5 1 i.1 '■-. » I /mIi <•> ||J T. P^tei^, «fteir hating liaid a pmeipalvliatt. $$ w9' ^t have^feeii from t£e Acts, itv^^^l^Us^^gtho ChtnMhifOltfiitin J^feruMleaasi^dall Judea^ iufd iflstaditeitt)Qg't^Gie«rtilean^^ remoTisd li» Antt^y tb^ iei^talr^ity of llie Client: where, aei:ebiNiliii|a0 Hi^ wicieals^* he held' his See for leTea yt$itu.' -uUiingii^hichtime be made his apostolic excursions, to propagate the kngdom of €/hrsst iato theipvovinces^f ronttts, 6alatia,€ilpi)adQeia, Alua Minor, and Bithynia) and there hrongnt^etser great numhet^ to thei^th; to whom ala» he ^addressed Ms two epist)e&. Then going to Rdnie^ the capital of the worldj he set up there the • stand j^ of the cf>6ss of Christ, ^nd estahlished a Very^ numerous i^ureh in that city which he made hia oivn paHi« tular See ■; and in that quality the oapital of Chris^ IciidO'm: whieb was aftbrwaras mucb enUfg^ by ''From Rome the faith was quickly spreiad tkwugh Ihoxtlltof Italy ; and firom thence, by degrees, pasiad^ «4 Lm$, md Deathf ff to all. the other rcgipps-of the West, AiricA, $pai|i» Gaul, Bri^Hii), 8(.c. AU.w.hich received the govpel from Home, by the n^inistrv of preachers, sent by the upo^tles F^ter and Pau), or by their successors. Frojq(^.Rome also St Pete^r sent hj? disciple St. Mark the^ Evangelist toibiiiyi t^iSl^eliurch of Alexan- dria, and the other churches of Egypt, liybia, and Pentapolis, which this saint established in great perfection; as. was jitflgyfti^ntlj^ evidenced by the. fruits these fields product; npt only, wjien they were first sowed, but for four hundred years afler, bo^ \f% tde citie»,and jn the ^Udgmess^^s^ JMM» tWeJCfturch ofRome WaV hjt 6il?Jtappy iri 'feM Eljinted % the two great apostl^#^ti»r;iiii#^iJ«i1; ut also io bein^ wittered ;v«tlv ll^iriblQ^t^ffhich they shed there in defence of the gospel; the or^e being crucified, and the oth^r beh^dea* Andtheir W^«tt»iRni9 litre hpnourid'iQ«tl^t^^^^ ^: the janeients,/ proaeheil; Ute &ill^ i^f iCbwil i^ Seythia, Thrace, Epirui^.jaBd\^Adb(^ft»jJl!dbKc^^ ^aled^it wi^ his> bloody dyilifUMnlhii Cjlf««4ttt\tW cHy>of Patras. Fiaom; wheoce lus Ji^Jid^ ^alf>9ftft»r wards traaslal«d to Coastanfii^aple^ miw tim^; the. eimieror-Coiistaniitts,, 'jiaB^ji, H%oj ^dmm:s:iz j i. #t.,/Qbn.eajrip4(|ie.gQi»pel:-mt<^^ the ^groAt ev^iia. of the: PartbijEms;. ana directed hi9 fimli epistle ^hicK breat&s iiothing[ h\3L\. ehti»itiy 'm bo&iitf branchea^and the necessity.ef; l^ood icorks,) >t0 Mi converts there: . as appears ^m^lhej iancient ^le l>f that epistle, In ^le latter pait of hi3 li£M)i^ feinted io the Lesser Asia; a^ there foundedi. or directed and gorenoed al^the AaiaJiO'Chttr<^)e») tiUJie #a9 eaiTKd iiriaanerjto. Rome, tD.bear/teiidimon]ii.^llie faith or Christ by martyrdom^ After hitaiiijsir cuIqus delivery)' &e waa banished into^: PatliiV9 ; £nm wjienes jhe.wrQJte hie SaavclatiojB^: fttjceijfaaiiiio % % «" ih other •ApsQiles; ns th« .ifeviMiyHrtclpal chiurchos of A^ia, vie, Ephcnuft,' Smv^iW) PMgimiisy Thyaliray ^nrdisv Pliiladelphia, andLaodicea. Being releasi!^'fiiim bis baniifhiueDt aft^r th« d^ftth of Ihetyjrai^t PoxtiitiajA, lie.returiied (^^ T)ioinil8'$fi»t l^tboaD^ ^^rediultfosopctamiai i^bAr^'Jby hilfistl^orbyiliistbiy^beK Tiiadabus^one^ i^ i^venty-^^o dnicij^es^d&Chr^ be rficci^ed^inlo Ih^ okiirch^At»^araft king of^eaita^ and all Imiteo-^ f4e: -After whiili lie py^Micbed iSkm Saith to the rav^ ltfiatifi»; M «de», Persiaiis,JCiiraiiiaiiian8^ Hyrdaniaiia* Ilaj^triaii4, and l^fit:^d/ at icngklii sealfd it^#fth bis blood. -. v -il • iBt Philip jailer roa«y'labouni iiiother pvovUiees^. pt«eache<'i the faitb in the two Phrygiaa;:aa tbeusi-' cklib c^ssure us^^Ti-om undoubted DM)DainGnt8. : iAiid (h8t. Bartholoinew' carried the gospel into fsdia « linlo'iogst tbe Brachmans; where St. Pantceiriis^aboiiG :>M«h^di«d year$ after, fpandi a remnant o£i;bc^ fiuit : Ai bis i^reKching. Eusebius, iib. ij cap. S^ ; His taj!^4a,lK>urs fvere in the Greater Armenia. Il^ere hf^ planted, a. numerous f^burch, and watered* it^Mrith lits bloodi The Armenians to this day boi^oui^: $t», BeurtlioloiiM^w and St. Thadteus as iheir apost)ea» ' . "^I^r Matthti^, after preaching and writing bis^os-. pel i|i Judea, carried it amongst other nations, of the ll?ftt ^nd^ South. The ancients particularly mune £tbiopii^: Inhere aUso )|e r^ceived^the crown of fl[iar9> - St Sinioiii dnd" St Jude^ after many'laboursfin 'Afferent nationfr were martyred in J^ ^ Mi^lhiali is Mid to 1iai»;« ^ut«d the fAith nmnn^st lhtt^'^«tb«rotis people^ h»i>g between the Ettxine imilO^piim Seaiy and wi^ to liave Teceired the J Jhid of the Church»9. munj labours and great fn»it iti ^tn oouBt''i^i« iMt iivith at Salamis, m C^pntf ; St'. Mark, at Akx-v andrii^t and St Luke, in ^haia« •' ^t infottk th9 t«e8, bei9^ uahdO biabop of Jenir galain, bac p^culla^ ukufp o£ tliur churcb^ pf Jttdea; vrhicb were iDttltipUfed ttxece^^]|r und^ bit afdministratimv by tib^ voQideirft oi-^bia worka, iMid by ^ aaoictihr' iaBs> anxia neW one built op the spot, to wbiob - be^ gave tW nagne of iE^iia ;: foil}iddiog any of th^] Jews to come near it; a new church Of 4iBrttsaTj le|D, composed of Christian Gealilefii was form^C about the middle of; the' secpnil ^cntury^ of vtrhlf Smyrna has given us a most authentic and- ediff* » ing account. This samt wrote an epistle to tue " Philippians, yet extant, and no ways unworthy of n tliscipie of the apostles. ^ Pothiftus and irenacus, disciples of Polycan), est(^ blisbed the kingdom of Christ at Lyons and Viennav^ in the' Celtic Gaul; and other aposloKc prelittes, sent from Rome by the successors of St. Feter, iht other part^ of Gaul, or France. And in Britain alsoy under king Lucius, the Church of Christ was esta- blisbed by naissioners sent by the same authority. Andihus, as we learn from the best autbor^es, within one hundred years after Christ, the Cbristiafi religion was ]Mt>pagate1i by the disdnles And sueees- sors of the apostles through the whole knOwn w^ritl, in spite of the opposition both of eaHh and helh/'^ Hence St. Justin, in his dialogtie with Tryf^oit *he Jew, p. 34, tells bim, « There arc some nstionSy .tv by thm Milblithed. t39 hiArbich n'yetnone of ^iir rate (the Jr Vs,) faavje ever ch^lt.- But there is not so tntich as any one nation of nren, either of barbarians, or Oreeians, or of any other tJenominiition whatsoever, or even of those who 3ive in waggons instead of hounes, or that; dwell in tents ; in'wracih.pravers aqd eucharists are lot offered to the Fatherand Maker of all things, in the name of Jesus that was erucifitd. » i ' "And St. Ircnreus, wiiting against heresies, lib.i, eiO). S, says, « This faith uie Church, disseminated throujBli^tiie whol^ world, keeps with great care. For thought in the world there is vaiiet^ of lan- guages, yet tlie virtue of tradition is one and the ¥:ame. iNdr do these ehurches that are founded in Germany, believe otherwise, or deliver any other doctrines ; nor those which are in Spain ; nor those which are in Gaul ; nor those which are in the f£a8t;.'nor those which are in Egypt; nor those ivhioh. are in Lybia ; , nor those which are establish- ed ia the midst of the world. But as the sun, the creature of God, is one and the same in the whole universe ; so also the light of the preaching of the truth every where shines and enlightens all men who are willing to come to the knowledge of thfe truth; » So fdT St. Irenseus. !>-^ A : And TertuUian, in his book against the Jews, chap.vii^ tells them,; « That now the various peo- ple of the Getttlians ^ and the many coasts of tli^ Moors; and all .the limits of the Spaniards; and the divers nations of the Gauls; and t)ie places of the Biitons that are inaccessible to theL KoroAns, are subject to.Christ. As likewise tlie Sarniatiaxui» and the Dacians, and the Germans, and the Scy- thians ; and many remote nations and provinces, and many islands unkiidwik to us, and which are innumerable; in all which places the name of Cluist rcigi)s. » '!( !! til ii til !i Ii i! I . * Abd in his Apologyj chap; iEXinii, hn; fkM:^ HeatHen persecutors, that the Gbrist^Kna are spM«4 througoiit all the univerbev and h&ve bo oDie^ limits than those of the wotkh «0ttFi)ri^naU9 9AJ9 he, « ]» but of late: and lire fill already $Xi that Tour peWcr reaches to; your cities^ your islands, your (Castles, your corporations, your Mr semblies of the people, youc very camps, yourcitjf wards, your liourt, your senatoy, yenir forum ; we liaiTeleit you nothing tdybursekes but youtteff^ pks* * Sa far he in less, than a hundred yeal»|raftir W death of the apostles. 1*1 ,4i 4 * » ' * ^ »"-h OONCLUSIONa i ' ■ ■ 'U'> Thus from the establisl^ent of the Ghtlieii^ the eonsttiiifiaation of time^ the Successors of St Peter will, id eonfontiity^to thepromisies of Chrisftj eon**' tinue to ^send priests throughout the iifttiont,ibr tht propagation and censtervation of the faith; ^lU hi*- Dours so repugnant to the perversct incliiatioiitof human natuee^ apostolical men will eif»r opposetle similar obstacles the same spirit as^id the apostles; confirming ^e testimony Uiiey bear of tlw. trttthi of religkm, some bymirmiles, many by. martyrdonn hvtt still more by the sanotity of theiviires. * « By their fruits you shall known them, m ;; l r> 11 / * A Lifl cf some of ike vp09tk9 ntUf to hehod'lpfneh ^duMait thustdffeciiU annexedtdiheendofikuhooki' * FiKI& '^;. n *•■ K * •l CONTENTS. :yll s ABSTRACT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Mridgedfrom tJu Books of Moaes, the Prophets,^^*^. Chap. I.— From Genesis. '^1. ^^F the Creation, - - ' Page S 4,2. ^iF OftheFfellofManbySin, - 4 '3. 01 the; Descendants of Adam, and the ' general Corruption of Mankind, - 5 , ^ 4. OT Noah and the Delngc, - - - 6 ^-6. or the Sons of Noah, - - - ib. ^6. Of the Patriarch Abrftham, and of Mcl- "chisedech, -*^ - - *" - 7 7. Of Lot, and the Destruction of Sodom, 8 8. Of the Patriarchs Isaac and Jacob, - 9 ^9. Ofthe^Patriarch Joseph, -. - -.,, - .10 10. The History of Holy Job, - - ' 12 Chap. U.—- Froni Exodus, and the oth«r Books of Moses. 1. Of the Oppression of the Israelites Jit ligypt, and the Birth of Moses, ' g 19 I »4« ieokVkwts. 14 9. God Mnds Moses to deliver Israel : He reveals his name to him, 8. Pharao refuses to let the People go : The Plagues qi Egyypt^ , ,^ - - 4. Thelsra^IitispuastlhtDughthelledSea: Pharao and bis Army are di'owned, 5. The Journey to Mount Sina, 6. An Abstract of the Ten Commandments, 7. The People fall into Idolatry: Their i,iv!' i.vP**oishraentj ^ . ?• - •, • S. of me Aik of the Covenant, and of the ; . ..-f^bernacle,^-. , .^- ••,- ^:y^.im:^M ' d. Of the Ihfidelities ©f the People, ^ their Seditions in. the W^emess, 34 10. Of the Schist of S^orah, Dathan, and . Abiron, - - - - . - .3^ 11. Other MurpQurings of the people : Their YiqtorieS over Sehoit axid.Og) , -: l^ Balaam is sent for, to curiae Israel : His wicked C6uhseLian4^ ^<^ni5eqvk^ ces of it, -k >.- ,• -k ._ V , •; •??■■ is. The last Acts of Moses : IBs Ikaih and 15 17 SI I. 37 8» 3> Cbaf. ni.^ — From tKe Books of Jashm aad^ Judges. t.. The miraculous ^Passage over the River • ; . . Jordan, , , - , • . • , >• , ' * 4. The taking of Jericho and Haij - 9. The Israelites are deceived b;^ the Gabfl^ onites.: ^ miraculpus ylctary ovei? . ^We Kings : Jo'shua cointonda Ums Sun to iltoct siiU, V <• « 35 I3 SI s» ■ K'i «<^:|rTlj»l^y Page 86 4. iptl^cr Viot9jri^ pf^oshiaa : Ilif la^t Acte andDeath, -; . - - B. The History of the Judgc!l, <6. Othoniel, Ahod, and Samgar, i. Debbora and Barac, j,,,- - ^ -, . ^ ., . ih. IIL Jepnte, "- n-- . - •« i^- ^",,5'r*T' 11. aaiQi^oiii - ■ . * ^> '., -.^•.. ^ '-,, J - ..i.»,v »y- ^ A' -.:^iief!'ir .^^ 1- T *■ .,'i :^ Cni*. IV.— Prom the Bdok? of Siito Thft History of the P?op!* of tJod, uttidcr Heli^ Samuel, Saul, and David. js"*- J "' .' • ! ... ■> t 49 4? ;s!:;ii>iji ,5! fib San; ^ v-.j,.,^.- S. Sau;, 4., David» •* S . .. , . -' ■ hr ■ * -• .. > k I ■ -■- Chaf. Vy<-From thc^. Books of Kings and Chroni* cles. The History of Solpmpx^ apt) his Successor^ thi^ Kings of Israel and Judah. 1., Solomoni - • • - - - '51 f . Jeroboam and his Successors, . ' . 52 8.. The History of Elias the Prophet, - 64 4. Eliseus the Prophet, • - - . 57 5;. Jehu, and the Kin^s, his Successors, 6<> 4^ The Succession of the Kings of Juda^h, 62 Xi. 244 f. Si/X CONTEKtS. Chap. 'Vl.--Tlie Hifitory of the People of God fti Captivity.. 71 ... -.l^g 4. The three Children in the fiery Furnace, 74 Nebuchad- 76 i* Daniel, and the Three Children, fl,. The History olT Susanna, 3. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, 4.' The three Children in the fi 5. The Judgment of God upon l^ebuchad- nezzar for his Pride 6. The Rebg;n of King Evilmerodach, - 77 7. King„B,aRa6$ar's. pofane 'Banquet : His y . rui^^ent, - - - - jb. 8. The Reign of Darijis the J^Iede,. „. >rA ."U^ .U tf ii t,?ii^ CdAF. VII, — The History of Tobit, Judith, ^ai^ Esther. ♦ ^ ^^ " 1. Tobit, or Tobias, 9. Judith, 3. Esther, 80 86 91 -^■■.?? «?^':> Qhap. yilL— The History of the P^eople of God after the Captivity. |>pm th«» Books of Esdras, Neheinias^and - '' Maehabees, . •";*„-? v'^'r? 94 'i\' T^l ^i.tfefi'S-"; .'.<■" r:. ' ■ ■ COITTEZrTfl. US PART THE SECOND. ABSTRACT OF THE NEW TJESTAl^ENT. Jiijcyv— ' Abridgjcd from the Four Evaiigeliistf. THE UFE OF CHKIST. F*^ Chap^X ^TkF the Incarqation of thclSoh pf 'l^ God,, for the Redemptiou of the :. World. The Birth:ofJ9hn the Babtiit, 101 Chap. IL— The Birth of dlinst, . .- ' 'i ' 105 Ghap. iir.— The Oflferings of the Wise M^ii: The Flight into Eg37)t : The Massacre of the Inaoconts, - i .^.^ -f ' ^•^' 108 Chap^lV:.— Christ at t\t^ltre*Tl5krs oC'Ag^G is found among; the Doctors, '(.,!' IQ9 Chap. V.--John's Preaching and Baplisto. Christ is baptized by him, - * - * UO Chap. VIII.— rChH^t returns to Galiileeji tfd publishes his Qospel there, and ,c0n- firms it with innumerable Miraqles, ,116 Chap. lX.-.Other MivAcles of Christ. Jdhn sends his Disci jrles to him. Jpjij^'s Martyrdoiti, - -; - •» - aIW (vhap. X^TT— Christ chooses twelve Apostles. His Sermon oil th9 Mount, ^ , f .121 Chap. XL^Christ cleanses the-Jiepers, and^!'-* ' works divers^^ other Miratlesi - 126 €h^p. XIL—Christ sends out hid twelve Aj)bs- tleSj with the Power Of ivprking Mira- cles. The Lessons he give« them, 127 U6 CONTENTS. Page Qbap^ Chap. Chapw • " jf Chap. mi Chap.^ CI I ' ttt " Chapi Ch§p. r Qhap- Chap. Chapi »» ■ n\f 130 131 130. XIII.— Christ feeds five Thousand withr five Loaves and two Fishes. He walks upon' the Sea,,.-,5<*^*i,jr=.-;^.;;„>*^'*^",'.'^ • !t » XIV. — Christ cures the Daughter of the Woman of Canaan, and many others ; and feeds four Thousand with seven Loaves, - - - - - Xy.^— Christ cures the- blind Man at Bethsaida. PeteVs Confession : He is rebuked for oppossing Christ's Passion. The Necessity of Self-Denial, Xyi.r— Christ is transfigured: He cures the Lunatic Child ; pays the I^idrach- ma; inculcates the Necessity of Humi- lity,, and pronounces his Woes against Scandal, - - - - - * Xyil. — Christ sends forth nis seventy- ^ twe Disciples : He invites all to hiin- ^elf f and recommends universal Cha- , v^ rity ; Dy the Example of the good Sa- •' '^f maritan, - - - - - 138> XytlL— Other Lessons of Christ to his J)isciples. . ». ^'.. ' - : -,uoir,w : XlX.-i- The merciful Dealings of Christ witli'Sinners. , The Parable of the lost fheii^p and of the Prodigal, i^ - X;— Christ is persecuted by the jews : They seek his Death, r - - Xii.— Christ raises Lazarus to Life., XXIL-— Christ's last Journey to Jeru- salem. He gives Sight to the BUnd at Jericho t Is entcrtHincd there by Zac- ^leus : His Sup|ier at Bethania, XXjII.f— Christ enters into Jerusalem riding upon an A3s, - " ■ ' 134 14a 145 ,148» 151 IgS^ 155 iOl^fENTfll. Page Chap. XXIV—The Acts of the four last DaVs ^ '^^^ of Christ's Life, - - - - 158 Chap. XX v.— The Twason of JuOas. Christ's Ust Supper, - - - - .162- Chap. XXVI.— Chrisfis Passidn and Death, 16Z Chap* XXVII,— Chri8t'ft,BUrial and Resurrec- tion, - - - - - 176 Chap. XXVIII;— Christ's Ascension into Hea- ven, - ^ -^ - - 181 '! PART THE THIIID. 140 ABSTRACT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Th« Acts of the, A>oSTLps,,and the Establishment *^ of the Church throughout the Wprl4j Abridjged from, the Acts and Epistles of the. Apos- , .: ' ties. Chap^.L TmirATTHIAS is chbsen^ Apostle ITJL in the Place of Judas, - 183 Chap. II. — -The. Disciples receive the Holy , , r> Ghost.. Peter's Serihon on this Occa- ' sion, The Piety of the first Convertsf 184 Chap'. in.r-^The Miracle of the Lame Ma.n, followed by the Conversion of many,. 187 Chap. IV»— The Constahcy of Peter and John before thp C6iib<;iU l^he Churt^h, is increased, "^^ ./^ J ^ ^^ . 19& a^. fOllffSICTf. T>r'T / Saphirm for J^ tolhe &ly^i^t.^^'*^^ ■Tlie Apo^IeS^ ckr« ^ast Into Prisdp, 7 ^^^' Gliap. VI. — The Ordination of thpieyenl^^^^^ cons. Steph^u'^ ^Sieal and MartyrSdm, 194 CJhap.OT. — A grievou^s ?eri|e;cutkm. The ,;^ Conversion of the Samaritans, and of ,the Treasurer of the Qu^^n. of iCtlub- pw, - - - - - - ^IW 6hap. Vni.— The Conversion of Saml^ «**4'' 198 Ghap. IX.T— Peter visits the Churches. His Miracles^ - - - - . 20t Ghap. X. — Peter open^ the Gatrs of the Church to the Gentiles, - - - 202 Chap. XL— A further Progress of the Church among the G««tiles, . - - - 20&^ Chap. XII. — Herod Agrippa persecute3 the' J , :Ch»M?<^h^j Petei! it delijr«re4 tiy m4»r . , gel,. - - • •' -; - ^Wwv r>F: the Holy Ghost. iThey * brus, l^sidia, and Xycaonias -' 20* 5fiV.-^TiieCouncil<)f Jerusalem.^ Paid visits the: Churches ; and cartrics iJic ' ^ Faith into other Provinces, - 211; Chap* ^Y,-r-P^ul pi^eacl^s ^ the TfcesiiMjloW'* ans^ Bei:eaf^} ^tfi^n^j^s, and €Q!r|ntfai<^ Chap. XTL-riPauJ pVei^he^ to theX^Jies w», ^ ' ' 4c. Appollqs ffoes V> Cori|»iK^: ^ *^^^ 217 Chap. 1rt*^.^Pa^^^ Lsfc^ra ani aufferijllgs;^ 219 €h?p»- AVIit-TTpfiurs Jf9\imey. to Jerusalem, Ml Felix and Festus, the Govticnbrs. 225- ■ ■ ' ■ . ;;5'nai f. / ;, / ^ • • COI^TfiZfTSV n- 949 Fa«e Chap.J(X«-r'Paul is^shi^itwvecked in bis Way to'llomel His Arrival, and Preaching S~ ere: his Imprisonment, his glorious «*Ji«>?% .V, - - - ,-. 389 f It ' jiij til: ■' . Ari^if nix.^-A short Account of the Lives and ^, Deaths of the other Apostles ; and of , ^ , the Churches by* them established,— l,_r'vFro6i the best Momw^ents of Anti^ C^QDclasion^ f. ^ . ' '^ "^ - 23a •i* *** i» Viit* jv 4':-(ii . tlvr^ '.^ *^ ft V V «.'>)•' vJ i^'ii"" .C jSj«.*t f. -■■■,.,•< U< -v.- . 7" ;hM '^ ■'" t S; * • . rr ' . .f 'jJli^; (•> ( ftw ) Bookitifirrtito tif/iicM^iM^^ * ■ > f * 1. City^ of God of the New ^eitAment; or, & short Abstract of the Historj of the Church of Christ, from its first Foundation to this Day, with the Sue- cessiop of its c)iie( Qisbops; ^e Gien^ral Council^ that harf^ been heM ; the Conve|iion qf l^fttioiis ; the Rii^e atid Copdemnatidh of tne pri^dm Here- sies ; and the numerous £i^ts of Ho^ jS^Mhers, Dpi^toiiil MaHyrs, and other Saints^thi^tn^^ye flour- Wit^ in every Century, sewed, 6d. ' •' «. Short View of the History of the Ciirtstiait Church, from its first Establishment to the Begii>> sing of the present Century inclusively, 3 vols., sewed, 12s. S. Walton's ^Bishop) Miraculous Powers of the. Church asserted through each succeeding Centuiy, from the Apostles down to the present Time, 8vo.,, sewed, 5s. 4. IButler^s Lives of the Saints, 13 vols., 8vo« > 5. Ditto abridged by Bell, 2 vols., Svo., 12s. 6. Memorial of Ancient British Piety; or a Bri* . tish Martyrology, giving a short Account of all such. Britons as have been honoured amongst the Saints, 12mo., bound, 5s. 7. England's Conversion and Reformation com- pared, Svo., bound, 5s. 8. Nouvelles dcs Missions Orientales, re^es k Londres par les Directeurs du Seminaire des Etran- g^res, 13mo., sewed, 2s. 6d. 9. The Church of Christ established.^ by Prophe- eies, Fathers, and the Testimony of ProtestantSi f n a fhset of paper, 6d«, ( «» ) . ! .. . • •",'••"1 ^ * * lb. Fleury's Hitionciil ^atechitm; ifiAtamtkig 4 Sunamary of Sact<^ Hiitoif and Chr{||ian Doc^ trtoie, 1 too. , boui} Ditto in Questipli^^ind Mswer only, s^ed, 6d. •' 11. Lives of t|M t ^ost ^minent Sainla of the lOriental Deserts i Of the Wonders of Gj^ in Htm Wilderness. Sel^t^ frdtrf ^e Genuin^ ^Vorks pf tiM Holy Fathers^tui^ibtltef &clesiiistic|il Writi^^ Witli an AppendiiL conntini'ng a Collection of j^ msrkable Anccdoibn^ Aphmrisma, Stc. $cc*i oi m Eastern Solitarief,^o., ini loards, 6s. v^ 12. Piety ExeiWifie<^*i^ apposite Illustrations fi^ Historical kna other Sovtrces; irtf^rspertkd :Witb faniiliar Reflections for the Improve^nt of tfatt blind and H^art, bfiAit R(BV.^B. Raym^^^ 3 vqif., ISino. >i ,,!(«* and tenor-Sqfia^. ' %)f wlK>W*fQs6 xUajriie W^d,*^ latSly p^iish^**\/« f:,:T' .*•» : « •., . .., ^SRIDGMENT of CHftjtSTIAN DOCTfelHEf or, The^firjii Catechimi ; ptMiaf^d^rioUh )p€rmU^ Hofii for vie Use of tf^e Londw-DUtri'^f , taie fasted dfiiepan^ Cartoons, or boands, for'^e Fse of :S&boola!!^herg)%e Laneasteiaiilr^Sysfeuat is adopt^; andmay Q)0 used wi^ aM(itag^'in itther StboMB, P^pell, or in t]ia^,apartmcntg of Youth iojmvaW^tmilies. For'k Specimen ef the TypelSee the nest page. 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