THE COTTAGER'S GUIDE "Whom shall he teach knowledge; and whom shall he make to understand doctrine "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel "To the poor the Gospel is preached." Luke vii. 22 2 To persons who may be disposed to circulate The Cottager's Guide to the New Testament. Those who have had the benefit of a cultivated education are often little aware how much information is necessary to a proper understanding of some of the things most commonly alluded to in the Scriptures. Having acquired information themselves, and finding others in their own class of society equally informed, they gradually assume that all classes are acquainted with that which they know so familiarly. Those, however, who have had much intercourse with the lower classes of society, continually discover that want of acquaintance with the commonest things hinders the reception of the instruction which so many are willing to give. Most of the authors of the various excellent commentaries on the Scriptures, have taken for granted that a great deal more preparatory knowledge is possessed by their readers than the lower classes of society have acquired; and they have thus rendered their works comparatively of little value in the cottage. In the Cottager's Guide to the New Testament," it is intended to explain everything as it occurs in the Scriptures without supposing any preparatory information; and to employ only such words and phrases as seem most suited to the capacities of the class of persons for whose benefit the work is undertaken. The Harmony of the Gospels is arranged according to the plan of the Rev. EDWARD GRESSWELL; and as, to avoid all controversial difficulties, it was necessary to follow one guide upon all critical points of arrangement that are considered doubtful by the learned, these are explained according to the view taken in his valuable" Dissertation upon the principles and arrangement of a harmony of the Gospels." The numbers of "The Cottager's Guide to the New Testament," will contain about sixteen pages each, and will be published once a month, until the whole is completed. They will be sold for two-pence each, or one shilling and nine-pence a dozen, or fourteen shillings a hundred. VOLS. I. to IV. contain the first Eigty-one numbers; and may be had of all the Booksellers, price 3s. 6d. each, neatly bouud in cloth ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIXTH PORTION. Jesus teaches of ensnaring in sin; of faith; and that there is no favour in doing duty. He heals ten lepers..-Discourse, No. 24.-Miracle, No. 36. PLACE-Galilee. TIME-Less than two months before His death.-Year 30. I. BEGINNING PRAYER. MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and profit by it. Amen. II. THE SCRIPTURE. Read St. Luke's Gospel, chap. xvii. ver. 1 to 19. III. THE MEANINGS; or sense of some words as used in this portion. LUKE XVII. verse 1. offences means here causes of offence-snares 6. sycamine tree ... a particular kind of tree grows only in Lower Galilee suppose trow that IV. THE EXPLANATION. In the course of his instruction our Lord repeated to his disciples the remark he had made at Capernaum about a twelvemonth before, when they were disputing amongst themselves, who was to be the greatest in His kingdom. (Matt. xviii. 1-7; vol. iii. 274.) It is impossible, that snares which lead people to offend God should not occur; but fearful will be the case of those, who are the occasion of such offences. The punishment of any person who wilfully ensnares one of the weakest of Christ's disciples into an offence, shall be so |