for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

49. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall persecute and slay. 50. That the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51. From the blood of Abel, to that of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the temple: verily I tell you, It shall be required of this generation; (as they have adopted their fathers' crimes, by approving their conduct and following their example, and thus serving themselves heirs to them.) 52. Wo to you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge. Ye entered not into the kingdom of heaven yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered, (by keeping them in ignorance and error.)

53. Now as he said these things to them, the scribes and Pharisees began to be greatly incensed, and to provoke him to speak of many things; 54. Laying wait for him, seeking to catch some of his words, that they might accuse him.

CHAP. XII.

CHRIST REPROVETH HYPOCRISY.

WHEN many thousands were assembled, so that they trode on one another, he said to his disciples, first, Beware of the Pharisees' leaven, which is hypocrisy. 2. As nothing is concealed that shall not be revealed; nor hidden that shall not be known. 3. Therefore, whatever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken to the ear in closets, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.

4. Now I tell you, my friends, fear not them that kill the body, but can do no more. 5. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him,

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who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear him. 6. Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? and not one of them is forgotten before God. 7. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye excel many sparrows.

8. I tell you also, Whoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God; 9. But whoever denies me before men, shall be denied before the angels.of God. 10. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but he that blasphemeth the Holy Spirit, (maliciously ascribing his works to Satan), shall not be forgiven. 11. When they bring you to the synagogues, and to principalities, and powers, take no thought how ye shall answer, or what ye shall say; 12. For the Holy Spirit shall teach you then what to say.

13. Now one of the multitude said to him, Master, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me. 14. But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge over you (in civil causes), or a divider (of inheritances).

15. Then he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for (the comforts of) a man's life consist not in the abundance of the things he possesseth.

16. So he spake a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man produced plentifully. 17. And he thought in himself, What shall I do, I have not room enough to bestow my fruits? 18. Then he said, I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and so bestow all my fruits and goods. 19. And I will say to my soul, (myself, or my life), Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20. But God said to him, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul, (thy life) be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

21. So is he that layeth up (earthly) treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God (in heavenly treasure.)

22. Then he said to his disciples, Therefore, I say to you, Be not over anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor for the body, with what ye shall be clothed. 23. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24. Observe that the ravens neither sow nor reap; nor have storehouse nor barn; but God feedeth them: how much more excellent are ye than the fowls? 25. But who of you, by anxiety, can add to his stature one cubit? 26. If ye then be not able to do what is least, why are ye too anxious for the rest?

27.

Observe the lilies how they grow; they labour not, they spin not; and yet I tell you, That Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28. If then God so array the herbage, which is today in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the furnace; how much more will he clothe you, O ye

of little faith?

29. Therefore seek not too anxiously what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor have ye a restless anxiety. 30. For after all those things do the nations of the world seek, but your Father knoweth that ye need these things. 31. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added to you. 32. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom (of glory).

33. Sell what ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. 34. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35. Let your loins be girded about (with sin. cerity), and your lights (of knowledge and grace) burning; (1 Peter i. 13.) 36. And ye yourselves like men that wait for their lord's return from the

marriage, (the uniting of his people to himself by covenant), that when he cometh and knocketh (by death), they may (be ready waiting to) open to him immediately. 37. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching: verily I tell you, he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat and serve them, (he will be ready to put them in the possession of fulness of joy and pleasures evermore.) 38. And if he come in the second, or in the third watch (of the night), and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39. But this ye know, that if the householder had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not suffered his house to be broken into.

40. Be ye therefore ready; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not, (to call you by death or judgment.)

41. Then Peter said to him, Lord, speakest thou this parable to us, or even to all?

42. So the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall place over his household, (the church), to give them their portion of meat (the food of life) in due season? 43. Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. 44. In truth, I tell you, he will set him ruler over all he hath.

45. But if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming (for death or judgment;) and begin to beat the men-servants and maids, and to eat and drink, and be drunken; 46. That servant's lord will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him off, and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47. And that servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, nor did his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48. But he that knew not, and committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to

whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom much hath been trusted, of him the more will be demanded.

49. I am come to send fire on earth, (to purify or consume it;) and what more do I desire if it be already kindled, (to consume wickedness from off it.) 50. But I have a (bloody) baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 51. Suppose ye that I came to spread peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division, (which the gospel will occasion, not of itself, but contrary to its peaceful nature, by the wickedness of them that oppose it and its votaries.) 52. For henceforth five in one house will be divided, three against two, and two against three. 53. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son 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.

54. He said also to the multitudes, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately ye say, There cometh a shower, and so it happens.

55. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh. 56. Ye hypocrites! ye can discern the appearance of the sky and of earth; but how is it that ye discern not this time (of Messiah's appearing.) 57. Yea, and why judge ye not what is right, (in either temporal or spiritual things?)

58. When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, use diligence to be delivered from him; lest he drag thee to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59. I tell thee, Thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the very last mite. (Thy spiritual state is such, with regard to God, and Christ, and the angels, and Satan, and thy sins, and the prison from whence there is