faying; Mafter, What do you fay is the main and principal thing, by which a Man muft attain that Eternal Life, which you difcourfe about.

26. Jefus faid, What doth the Law of Mofes determine in the Cafe? What doth it propofe as the Condition of Life and Happiness?

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.

our

28. Jefus reply'd; You have answered well: Perform now these Conditions; Exprefs 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 Jefus'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.

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.

31. Now it happened that a certain 31 And by Prieft paffed by that way, who one chance there came

down

33 But a certain Samaritane, as he journeyed, where he was and when he faw him, he had compaffion on bim,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oyl and wine, and fet him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care

of him.

would expect by his very Place and Of fice, profeffing great Holiness and Charity, should have affifted the poor wounded Traveller: But when he faw him, he paffed by at a distance on the other fide, and went on his way.

32. A little after, a Levite came likewife to the fame place, in his paffage upon the Road; of whom, if not for the fake of his Religion, yet at least upon account of his Tribe and Profeffion, it might have been expected that he should have had compassion on his Brother, and have relieved him in his extreme diftrefs: But this Man alfo only looked on him, and paffed by without doing any thing for

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 bim to an Inn, and faw all neceffary care taken of him.

35. And the next Day, being obliged to continue his Journey, he called the Mafter of the Houfe, and paid him for the wounded Man's Lodging and other Expences, and gave him frict bim till he should recover; and promifed charge to take further particular care of them to the hoft, and at his return to pay all the Charges himfaid unto him, Take Self.

35 And on the morrow when he

departed he took out

two pence, and gave

care of him; and whatsoever

thou fpendeft more, when I come again, I will

repay thee.

36 Which now 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?

37. The Scribe replied; He that charitably affifted him, was, no doubt, his beft Neighbour. Then faid Je 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 fame Nation, Religion or Sect; but think every one fuch, who stands in any need of your relief or affiftance, however otherwife 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 Respect to him: But according to their different Tempers, they expreffed the Honour they had for him, in different Manners. Martha kept the Houfe, 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 thieves?

He that fhewed mer37 And he faid,

faid Jefus unto him, cy on him. Then Go, and do thou likewife.

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entred into a certain village and a certain woman named

Martha, received him into her house.

39 And fhe had a fifter called Mary, which alfo fat at Jefus feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbred about

much ferving, and came to him, and faid, Lord, doeft thou not care that my fifter hath left me to ferve alone? bid her therefore that the help me.

41 And

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.

41 & 42. But Jefus replied; 0 Martha, Martha, you perplex your Mind, and are full of Care and Sollici tude, about preparing this Entertainment for me; which I accept indeed as a Mark of your Refpect to me: But tion to my Difcourfes, is a thing more your Sifter's Diligence and pious Attenacceptable to me, and more profitable to ber; and I can never difcourage her in choofing fo good a Part, but must commend her for it.

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. Obe dience the only Qualification esteemed by God, ver. 276 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.

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 answered: 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 pray, as John alfo taught his difciples.