faying; Mafter, What do you fay is 26. Jefus faid, What doth the Law of Mofes determine in the Cafe? What doth it propofe as the Condition of Life and Happiness? our 27. The Scribe answered : That which the Law commands is this; that we fhould love God heartily, fincerely, conftantly, and entirely; and that we fhould love our Neighbours as felves, fo as to do to them in all Cafes as we defire they should do to us. 28. Jefus reply'd; You have anfwered well Perform now these Conditions; Express your Love to God, by affectionate, fincere, conftant, and univerfal Obedience to his Commands; and teftify your Love to your Neighbour, by doing as you would be done by: And you fhall inherit eternal Life. 29. The Scribe approving Jesus's Anfwer, but yet defiring to juftify himfelf, and hoping to appear a very good Man for being kind to thofe that dwelt near him, of the fame Nation, Religion, or Sect; he asked Jefus further, faying; When the Law commands us to love our Neighbour as our felves, Whom doth it mean by our Neighbour, and how far muft we extend that Word? 30. Jefus anfwered; I will tell you by a plain Similitude. There was a Traveller going down from Jerufalem to Jericho, and in the way he met with Robbers, who ftripped him and took away all that he had, and forely wounded him, and left him upon the Road almost dead. 31. Now it happened that a certain 31 And by Prieft paffed by that way, who one chance there came down 29 But he willing to juftific himself, faid unto Jefus, And who is my neigh bour? 30 And Jefus anfwering, faid, A certain man went down from Jerufalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which ftripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. down a certain prieft that way; and when he faw him, he pafsed by on the other fide. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and paffed by on the other fide. came 33 But a certain Samaritane, as he journeyed, where he was: and when he faw him, he had compaffion on him, 33 34. At last a certain Samaritan, paffing by that way, faw him, and took pity on him; and, though a Stranger to the Nation, and an Enemy to the Religion of the Jews; yet in great Charity he stopped, and went to him, and washed and dreffed his Wounds, and fet him upon his own Beaft, and carried his wounds, pou-him to an Inn, and jaw all necessary ring in oyl and wine, and fet him on his Own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care 34 And went to him, and bound up of him. care taken of him. 35. And the next Day, being obliged to continue his Journey, he called the Master of the Houfe, and paid him for the wounded Man's Lodging and other Expences, and gave him frict him till he should recover; and promifed charge to take further particular care of at his return to pay all the Charges him 35 And on the morrow when he departed he took out now 36 Which of these three, thinkeft thou, was 36. Now, faid Jefus to the Scribe, Which of these three Men do you think was properly the poor Traveller's Neighbour, and did the Office of a Neighbour to him? The Prieft and Levite, that paffed by and neglected him? Or the Samaritan,who,though a Stranger both by H 3 Birth Birth and Religion, yet with great Charity affifted and relieved him? thieves? He that fhewed mer37 And he faid, faid Jefus unto him, Go, and do thou likewife. 37. The Scribe replied; He that charitably affifted him, was, no doubt, his beft Neighbour. Then faid Jecy on him. Then fus; If the Samaritan acted herein the part of a good Man, then do you go and imitate his Example. Look not upon those only to be your Neighbours who dwell near you, or are of the same Nation, Religion or Sect; but think every one fuch, who ftands in any need of your relief or affiftance, however otherwise he may be a Stranger to you. And fo extend your Charity to all Mankind. 38. At another time, Jefus being in the Town of Bethany with his Difciples, an Entertainment was made for him by Lazarus's Sifters, Martha and Mary, at their Brother's House. 39 & 40. Now these two Sifters, were both of them pious Women, Admirers of Jefus, and defirous to testify their Refpect to him: But according to their different Tempers, they expreffed the Honour they had for him, in different Manners. Martha kept the House, and was extremely bufy and follicitous to provide a handfome Entertainment for Jefus and his Difciples: Mary, on the contrary, little follicitous about the bodily Provifion and Entertainment, fat down as a Difciple at Jefus's Feet, and with great Diligence attended to all his Difcourfes, for the improvement of her Mind. At this, Martha who had all the toil and trouble of providing the Entertainment, was highly offended and faid to Jefus; Lord, it is with great pleasure that I take all this Pains for your Sake, but the Work is too much for me to go through alone; And my ; neighbour unto him that fell among the Sifter here fits still, refufing to help me. I befeech you, command her to affift me in this present hurry of Business ; and that the fit down to hear your Difcourses at a more feasonable time. CHAP. XI. Jefus teaches his Difciples how to pray, ver. 1. Prayer must -be conftant and importunate, ver. 5. God readier to give good Things, than Men are, ver. 11. Jefus proves that his Miracles could not be worked by Magick, ver. 15. Obedience the only Qualification efteemed by God, ver. 27. Miracles will not convince the Obftinate, ver. 15, and 29. Jefus upbraids the Jews for their Obftinacy and Hypocrify, ver. 31. Shows, against the Pharifees, that moral Duties are more neceffary than ceremonial Obfervances, ver. 39. And denounces Woe to them for their Hypocrify, ver. 42. AND it came to pass, that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his difciples him? faid unto I. AT been Praying, according to his conftant Cuftom; one of his Disciples, as foon as he had done, took that OcInftructions about the Matter of their cafion to defire him to give them fome 4 Prayers, H Prayers, as John the Baptist had done to his Difciples; and that he would direct them, both what things they ought to pray to God for, and in what manner they might most acceptably express their Petitions. 2. Jefus anfwered: When ye pray, do not use a multitude of Words and vain Repetitions; but exprefs your Defires in fuch a fhort Form as this. Almighty God, the Creator and Governour of the World, and the most bountiful Benefactor of those who Fear and Obey Thee. Grant that all Reafonable Creatures may fincerely and heartily. magnify and adore Thee; and that all Mankind may come to the knowledge and belief of thy True Religion. Grant that all who profefs this thy True Religion, may live in Obedience to the Laws thereof, and that Men, as far as the Infirmity of their Nature will permit, may Obey Thee with proportionable Sincerity and Conftancy here on Earth, as Angels and Blessed Spirits do in Heaven. Lord, teach us to art in 2 And he faid un- 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our fins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to And lead us not us. into temptation, but 5 And |