GHAP. XII.

49 I am come to fend fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled ?

so But I have a baptifm to be. baptized with, and how am I ftraitned till it be accomplished!

51 Suppofe ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather divifion.

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 The father fhall be divided against the fon, and the fon against the father: the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother: the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Јони.

Then turning his Difcourfe upon another Subject: Altho, faid he, my Gospel recommends mutual Charity and Forbearance, yet fuch is the depravity of Mankind, that it fhall be the occafion of Difcord and Contention, which fince it cannot be avoided, confidering the degeneracy of Men, I am fo far from defiring it should be otherwife, that I rather with this Fire were already kindled. I know very well that the Enemies of my Gofpel will exercife their Cruelty first towards me, and that I am as it were to be confecrated by the Baptifm of my Blood, which they intend to shed, and I cannot but have fome pangs upon me till I have fulfill'd this part of my Office. And tho by my Death I fhall procure a reconciliation for true Believers, between God and them, yet, believe me, the greateft part of men fhall be fo far from laying afide their Heats and Animofities, that they fhall make Religion it felf a pretence for continuing of them; nay, they fhall divide themselves into Parties and Factions, and perfecute one another with fuch a rage, as if my de fign in coming to them was to throw all things into a general diforder and confufion. Such a univerfal Difcord fhall happen upon the occafion of the spreading of my Gofpel, that in a Family, confifting but of five perfons fuppofe, three fhall receive my Doctrin, and two fhall be againft it; or if two believe on me, the rest shall gainfay it. Parents hall oppofe their Children, and these their Parents: The Mother-in-law fhall quarrel with the Daughter; and thus the whole Land shall be imbroil'd on the account of the Gospel.

Then

CHA P. XII.

54 And he said alfo to the people, When ye fee a cloud rife out of the weft, ftraightway ye fay, There cometh a fhower; and so it is.

55 And when ye fee the southwind blow, ye fay, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56 Ye hypocrites, ye can difcern the face of the sky, and of the earth: but how is it, that ye do not difcern this time?

57 Yea, and why even of your felves judg ye not what is right?

58 When thou goest with thine adverfary to the magiftrate, a thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayeft be delivered from him; left he hale thee to the judg, and the judg deliver thee to the officer, and the officer caft thee into prison.

59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou haft paid the very laft mite.

Јони.

Then addreffing himself to the People that liftned to what he faid, he thus befpake them: When you fee Clouds rifing out of the Sea (which is Westward) you guess that there will be Rain, nor are you mistaken in your conjecture. When you perceive the South Wind blow, you can foretel that it will be fultry Weather. O ye Pretenders to Religion, you can make accurate Obfervations in fuch like cafes, how comes it to pafs you do not obferve the Signs of the Meffiah's coming? And from your daily Practice why do you not infer what is expected from you before his coming? If you are arrested by a Creditor, you endeavor to compound the matter as foon as you can, rather than expect the determination of the Court, which you know ends in Imprisonment, till you have paid the intire Sum. Why are you not as diligent in making your peace with God by a timely Repentance, before he condemns you to that place of Torment, where it will be impoffible for you to redeem your felves from the Punishment you have deferv'd?

I

LUKE.

CHA P. XIII.

TH

"Here were prefent at that feafon, fome that told him of the Galileans, whofe blood Pilate had mingled with their facrifices.

2 And Jefus answering, faid unto them, Suppofe ye that thefe Galileans were finners above all the Galileans, because they fuffered fuch things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye fhall all likewifeperifh.

4 Or thofe eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and flew them, think ye that they were finners above all men that dwelt in Jerufalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perish.

CHAP. XLIII.

JOHN.

Jefus informs bis Hearers that Misfortunes very often happen to men not worse than others. The Parable of the Fig-tree. The Cure of a Woman on the Sabbath-day, which be maintains against the Cavils of the Ruler of the Synagogue. Similitudes relating to the Kingdom of God. That a few only shall be fav'd. Jefus is warned to beware of Herod, and foretels his being put to death at Jerufalem, the Inhabitants of which be reproaches with their Obftinacy, and predicts the fevere Punishments that shall be inflicted on them.

A Fter Jefus had done fpeaking, fome of his Hearers told him of certain Galileans who had bin murder'd at the very Altar, while they were facrificing, by Pilate the Roman Governour, infomuch that their Blood was mingled with that of the Beaft that had bin facrific'd. Having heard this, he retorted thus upon them: Suppofe ye that thefe Galileans were permitted by God to be thus butcher'd, because they were, more criminal than the reft of their Countrymen? If you do, you pass a wrong cenfure upon them. Thefe men were Sinners, 'tis true, but not more than others; and if God fuffer'd them to be thus cruelly deftroy'd, 'tis for an example to you, that being thus forewarn'd by it, you may by a feasonable Reformation appeafe his moll juft Vengeance. What think you of thofe eighteen perfons that were kill'd by the fall of the Tower of Siloe? Do you fuppofe they were greater Sinners than all the other Inhabitants of Jerufalem? No, God has fuffer'd them to be thus deftroy d, that the reft taking warning by their misfortune, may avoid the like by a timely Repentance.

Το

The year of Chrift, 32. of his Ministry, 3.

LUKE.

CHA P. XIII.

6 He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and fought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then faid he unto the dreffer of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none cut it down, why cumbreth it the ground?

8 And he anfwering, faid unto him, Lord, let it alone this year alfo, till I fhall dig about it, and dung it :

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou fhalt cut it down.

10 And he was teaching in one of the fynagogues on the fabbath.

II. And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wife lift up her felf.

12 And when Jefus faw her, he called her to him, and faid unto her, Woman, thou art loofed from thine infirmity.

13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately fhe was

JOHN.

339

To which purpofe he added this Similitude. A certain man had a Fig-tree in his Vineyard, which for three years fucceffively bore no fruit. He therefore call'd the Dreffer of his Vineyard to him, and told him it had bin barren for three years together, ordering him to cut it down, that it might not take up the ground, which might be planted with a more fruitful Tree. The man intreated him to let him try one year more, whether he could not bring it to bear by manuring the ground about it; but if after all his care it continued barren, he would willingly obey his Orders.

Jefus being at a certain time in a Synagogue of Galilee on the Sabbath-day, it happen'd that a Woman was there alfo who had bin afflicted for 18 years with a fore Difeafe by the evil Spirit, fo that he was not able to ftand upright. Jefus feeing her, call'd her to him; and laying his hands upon her, faid, Woman, be thou recover'd; freed from thy Infirmity. These words were no fooner pronounc'd, but the Woman

Xx 2

CHA P. XIII.

made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler of the fynagogue answered with indignation,. becaufe that Jefus had healed on the fabbath-day, and faid unto the people, There are fix days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the fabbathday.

IS The Lord then answered: him, and faid, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the fabbath loofe his ox or his afs from the ftall, and lead him away to watering?.

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo these eighteen years, be loofed from this bond on the fabbath-day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adverfaries were afhamed and all the people rejoyced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18 Then faid he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto fhall I resemble it?

JOHN.

recover'd; and standing up, gave thanks to God. The Ruler of that Synagogue obferving it, rebuk'd the Multitude with indignation for flocking to Jefus on the Sabbath-day, which they knew was a day of reft, and not on the other fix days, in which it was lawful for every one to follow their Imployment, and confequently for Jefus alfo to cure them of their Diftempers. Jefus over-hearing him, tharply rebuk'd him for his Hypocrify: 0 thou Pretender, faid he, why doft thou diffemble what thou canst not but know full well, namely, that there are fome Works which it is not unlawful to perform on the Sabbath-day? Do not all men know it is lawful to loofe an Ox or an Afs, and lead him to water? and is it not a general practice? Might not I then (as I may fay) loose this Woman, who is a Daughter of Abraham, from that bond with which the Devil had held her fast for these 18 years? This defence confounded all his Adverfaries, but the generality of the People glorified God for the wonders which they faw perform'd by Jefus.

At that time Jefus reflecting on the fmall number of Converts and true Believers, in comparison of the Multitude he forefaw fhould believe on him, began to say as He had done in another place before; To what is the Kingdom of God like, and