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one of them them shall not fall on the ground 30 without your father. And the very hairs of 31 your head are all numbered. Fear ye not

therefore, ye are of more value than many 32 sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess

me before men, him will I confess also before 33 my Father who is in heaven." But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. 34 Think not that I come to send peace on earth:

I am come not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother36 in-law. And a man's foes will be they of his 37 own household.* He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than " 38 me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not 39 worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall ** lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.†

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He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent 41 me. He that receiyeth a prophet, in the name

* But how is this? Christ is called "the Prince of peace;" he says also, "that he came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them." We must understand what is here said, then, as a prediction, that mankind would dispute about his religion; and that it would be the occasion of divisions and hatreds with many.

†That is, he who sacrifices his duty for the sake of temporal good, shall lose eternal life.

of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a right42 eous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

CHAP. XI.

1 AND it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in 2 their cities. Now, when John had heard in the prison of the works of Christ, he sent two 3 of his disciples,* and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for 4 another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye 5 hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them, 6 and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.

The wonderful works of Christ pointed him out as a divine teacher; "for no man could do such works as he did, except GoD were with him." Was John the Baptist then in doubt whether Jesus were the Messiah, or did he send his disciples to Christ for their own satisfaction? Probably for the conviction of his disciples.

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And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A 8 reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing 9 are in kings' houses. But what went ye out to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, 10 and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my mes-` senger before thy face who shall prepare thy 11 way before thee. Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist : notwithstanding, he that is least in the king12 dom of heaven is greater than he.* And from the days of John the Baptist, until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the 13 violent take it by force. For all the prophets 14 and the law prophesied until John.† And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah who was to 15 come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.§ 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets 17. and calling unto their fellows, and saying,

* That is, the Christian church. Those who are made "acquainted with all the doctrines of the gospel, and were endowed (as were the first preachers) with miraculous powers, were, in a sense, superior to John the Baptist.

+ See Luke xvi. 16.

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# Prophesied of by Malachi; and John did come in the spirit of Elijah.

He who is desirous to hear, let him listen and understand.

They are inconsistent and perverse.

We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye 18 have not lamented. For John came neither

cating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a 19 devil.* The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

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Then he began to reprove severely the cities wherein most of his mighty works were 21 done, because they repented not. Wo unto thee, Chorazin; wo unto thee, Bethsaida: for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon,‡ they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment 23 than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have

* That is, is insane, or actuated by a strange sort of spirit-not that they probably supposed him possessed of an evil spirit.

+ Evidences of a cavilling disposition in the Jews, who made objections to every thing they disliked. The conduct both of John and Jesus was highly appropriate, and such as was adapted to the character each was to sustain.

Tyre and Sidon were cities on the Mediterranean sea, and not far distant from the northern parts of Judea, where Christ was now preaching. Their destruction, as predicted by the ancient Jewish prophets, had been remarkable.

§ Capernaum and Chorazin were in Galilee, near the sea or lake of that name; and in those cities, and the neighboring villages, Christ spent a great portion of his ministry.

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been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, 24 it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

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At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them 26 unto babes.† Even so, Father, for so it seemed 27 good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Son, and he to ⚫ whomsoever the Son shall reveal him. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are 29 heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and fearn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest 30 unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Learned and philosophic.

Unlearned and humble men.

Though the gospel enjoins self-denying duties, yet its sincere votaries receive consolation and joy, which the world cannot impart.

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