59 officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

1

CHAP. XIII.

AT that time there were some present who told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate 2 had mingled with their sacrifices.* And Jesus answering, said unto them, Do ye suppose that these were sinners above all the Galileans, 3 because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay but, except ye repent, ye shall ak 4 likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, do yc, think that they were sinners above all that 5 dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

6

He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard: and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then he said unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none; cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering, said unto him, Lord, let it

alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, 9 and dung it. And it may bear fruit, but if not, after that thou shalt cut it down.

*It is supposed these Galileans had openly and forcibly opposed the authority of the Roman governor. The enemies of Christ pretended bc also was opposed to the laws of Cæsar.

10 And he was teaching in one of the syna

And behold, there spirit of infirmity* bowed together and And when Jesus

11 gogues on the sabbath. was a woman who had a eighteen years, and was 12 could not even look up. saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine in13 firmity. And he laid his hands on her

and immediately she stood up right, and glorified 14 God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work in them therefore come and 15 be healed, and not on the sabbath-day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox, or ass from the stall, and 16 lead it away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: but the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18

Then he said, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden, and it grew,

* This undoubtedly was mere disease; but it appears the Jews had an opinion that sickness was inflicted by Satan; or that evil spirits possessed those who were subject to uncommon disorders.

and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the 20 air lodged in the branches of it. And again

he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom 21 of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the 22 whole was leavened. And he went through

the cities and villages teaching, and journeying 23 towards Jerusalem. Then one said unto him,

Lord, are there few who are saved? And he 24 said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait

gate: I assure you, that many will seek to 25 enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; then he will answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are: 26 And ye will be ready to say, We have eaten and drunken in thy presence, and thou hast 27 taught in our streets. But he will say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are ; depart 28 from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, 29 and yourselves thrust out. And they shall

come from the east and the west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the 30 kingdom of God. And behold, there are last. who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.

31 The same day there came some of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and deAnd

32 part hence: for Herod will kill thee.

he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox,* behold, I cast out demons, and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall 33 be perfected. Nevertheless, I must walk today and to-morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of 34 Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not ! 35 Behold your house is left unto you desolate. Verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

1

CHAP. XIV.

AND as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sab2 bath-day, they watched him. And behold, there was a certain man before him who had 3 the dropsy. And Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees, and said, Is it lawful to heal on 4 the sabbath-day. But they made no reply.

* Our Savior calls Herod a fox, to express his opinion of the low cunning, deceit and subtility of that prince.

It is said there were no sects known among the Jews until after the times of the inspired prophets. When Christ was on earth, it appears, that they were distinctly marked; and that some of them were very erroneous in their opinions, and corrupt in their practices. The Sadducees, like the Epicureans among the heathens, confined thetr views to the present world. They did not believe in

And he took the man and healed him, and let 5 him go. Then he addressed them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not immediately pull him 6 out on the sabbath-day? And they could not answer him to these things.

7

And he spake a parable to those who were bidden, when he marked how they chose out 8 the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art invited by any one to a feast, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be also invited by him. 9 And he that invited thee and him, come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art invited, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher then shalt thou have honor in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased,

:

and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

a future state of existence and retribution, and of course were destitute of all religious principles. But though much opposed to the sect of the Pharisees, they united with them in persecuting and crucifying our Lord. The Pharisees made great pretensions to sanctity; but they were hypocritical and insincere; inattentive to the great duties of religion, and careful only to observe its rites and ceremenies. The Scribes and Doctors of the law, or Lawyers, as they are often called in the New Testament, were teachers and expounders of the Masaic law to the common people. But while they taught others, they were themselves, in most cases, indifferent to the moral precepts inculcated in the law and prophets; and by their traditions and glosses made the word of God of no effect.