And that when I have finished this Bufinefs, and the Time appointed by Divine Wisdom be come, I fhall indeed at laît be perfected by fuffering Death: But that in the mean time, till this Seafon (determined by God himself only) fhall come, I must continue preaching and working Miracles in the fame manner as I do now; and that 'tis not in Herod's Power to hinder me; neither fhall I fuffer at any other Time, nor in any other Place, than that which the Wisdom of Providence has from the Beginning appointed. For it is not poffible that a Prophet should be murdered, and not at Jerufalem. 34. O Jerufalem, Jerufalem; thou that waft once the Holy City, the City of God; but art now become as notorious on the contrary, for Wickedness and Impenitence, for flaying the Prophets of God, and perfecuting his Servants: How often has God graciously offered thee the Means of Pardon and Mercy, and invited thee to Repen tance with all the Patience and Compaffion, that a tender Father can show to his moft beloved Child! But thou refufedft to hear. 35. Behold, Now therefore the Time of Mercy is paft; and the final Defolation of the City and Temple, with the fearful Deftruction of the whole Jewish Nation, is peremptorily decreed of God. And affuredly, I tell you, the Time will speedily come; nay, it is even at hand; when ye fhall fee me no more, till ye fhall be forced to own me to be indeed the Meffiah the Son of God with Power. 33 Nevertheless, I muft walk to day and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerufalem. 34 O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, which killeft the prophets, and ftoneft them that are fent unto thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under wings, and ye would ber not? 35 Behold, your houfe is left unto you defolate: and verily I fay unto you, ye fhall not fee me, until the time come, Bleffed is he that when ye fhall fay, cometh in the name of the Lord. CHAP CHAP. XIV. Jefus cures a Dropfy, and shows that Works of Mercy are to be preferred before Ceremonies, ver. 1. Exhorteth to Humility, ver. 7. and Charity, ver. 12. The Parable of the Guests that refused to come, ver. 16. A Religious Life must not be undertaken rafbly and carelessly, but with Confideration and deliberate Refolution, ver. 26. The Duty of Minifters, and the Punishment of bad Ones, ver. 34. I AND it came to pass, as he went into the houfe of one of the chief Pharifees to eat bread on the fabbath-day, that they watched him. 3 And Jefus an the lawyers and Pharifees, faying, Is it lawful to heal on the fabbath day? 2 And behold, there was a certain man before him 2. And there wanted not a fit Opportunity: For at that same time there which had the drop- was prefent a poor Man troubled with fie. an incurable Dropfie, who feemed to wait on purpose in hopes that Jefus would miraculously heal him, as he had formerly done feveral others in like dangerous Conditions. 4 I. T another time Jefus being in Day to a Perfon of Quality's Houfe, who was a Pharifee; several of that Sect, who were present, watched him according to their usual Custom, to see if he would do any thing contrary to the Rites and Traditions which their Rabbies or principal Teachers had introduced and injoyned them to obferve; that they might thence take occafion to reproach and accufe him 3. Jefus therefore seeing the Man, and knowing how the Pharifees watched him, and what Judgment they would pafs upon his healing the Man on the Sabbath, and what Use they would make of that Action to raise an Accufation against him; he prevented them by afking them this Question beforehand, faying; Ye that pretend to be exactly exactly skilful in all Questions and Cafes of the Law; Tell me, Is it contrary to the Law of God, and inconfiftent with God's Defign in the Inftitution of the Sabbath, to do one of the greatest Acts of Mercy and Charity on that Day, by delivering a Man from a dangerous and incurable Disease? 4 And they held 4. To this Question, though they defired the thing should be thought unlawful, yet they were ashamed to make him that Answer openly. Jefus there- him, and let him go: their fore, finding them put to filence, laid 5. Then turning himself again to the Pharifees, he faid; Who is there among you, the ftricteft and moft rigid Obferver of outward Rites and Ceremonies, that would scruple, though even with great Labour, to pull his Beast out of a Pit on the Sabbath-Day, to fave its Life? What extreme Malice then is it in you, to judge ill of me for preferving a Man on this Day, and That too with barely laying my Hand upon him! 6. And all at the Table were asha med, and held their peace; not being able to fay any thing against the Evidence of fo clear a Truth. 7. The fame Day, Jefus having obferved how the Pharifees that were invited with him, ftrove to have the upper-hand, and to fit in the highest Places at the Table; he took this Opportunity, by the Comparison of Guefts placing themselves at a Feaft, to warn his Hearers of the great Evil of Pride, and to recommend to them the excellent Virtue of Humility, faying; 5 And answered of you fhall have an them, faying, Which afs or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the fabbathday. 6 And they could not anfwer him again to these things. 7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chofe out the chief rooms, faying unto 89. When you are invited any whither to a Feast, do not thrust your felf forward, and strive to place your felf in the uppermoft Seat; leaft after you are fet down, fome other Perfon comes, to whom Precedency is due ; and the Mafter of the Feast bids you remove and give Place to that more honourable Gueft: And then, instead of that Honour which you foolishly affumed to your felf, you be forced with Difgrace and Shame to go down to a lower Seat. 10. But rather on the contrary, when you go to a Feaft, chufe to fit down modeftly in the lowest Place; that when the Mafter of the Feaft comes in, he may bid you go up to a higher Seat; and then your Modefty will gain you real Honour and Refpect, from all them that are invited with you. II. And in the fame Proportion, as in this smaller Inftance, fo alfo in all other the greater Actions of Life, behave your felves always with Humility and decent Modefty, as the propereft Method to raise you to true Honour and real Efteem. For whofoever carries himself proudly and haughtily; with an unreasonable affuming to himfelf, and an arrogant Contempt of others; forgetting either his Dependence on God, or his Duty to Men; fhall certainly by the Juftice of Providence be brought down and humbled. But he that behaves himself modeftly and humbly, with a juft Senfe of his Dependence on God, and of his Duty in all Relations to Men; fhall for his wife Behaviour be honoured and exalted, by the Favour both of God and Men. 12. Furthermore, Jefus faid to the Pharifee, that invited him: When you 14. And then, because these Men are not able to make you any Recompenfe for themselves in the present World, God himself in their stead will blefs you and recompenfe you in the World to come; and you shall receive the Reward of your Charity at the great and general Refurrection, with all other *Note; Holy, and Juft, and* Charitable Men, Sixar & in the Eternal Kingdom of God in in the Heaven. new Tef in צדק 15. Upon this, one of them that tament, as fat at the Table, faid to Jefus: Bleffed is he, that fhall fee the Kingdom of the Old, God established in this World, by Mens fignifies good and living univerfally according to fuch charitable. Principles as thefe; and Bleffed is he, See Mat. i, who by fuch a Life, fhall attain a Share in the Eternal Rewards of his Heavenly Kingdom in the World to come. 19. 16. Jefus replied; Yea, verily, Bleffed are they who fhall partake of the Virtue and Happiness of the Kingdom of God, in the present and future State. bade him, When a be made thee. 13 But when thou makeft a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 And thou fhalt be bleffed; for they cannot recompenfe thee: for thou fhalt be recompenfed at the refurrection of the juft. 15 And when one of them that fat at meat with him, heard thefe things, he faid unto him, Bleffed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16 Then faid he unto him, A certain man made a great fupper, and bade ma ny: |