no deliverance, as thou canst never pay what thou owest. (See Matth. v. 26.) CHAP. XIII. CHRIST PREACHETH REPENTANCE. SOME were present at that time, who told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices. 2. Then Jesus said to them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things! 3. I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower at Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish, (in the destruction of your city, and eternally.) 5. 6. ¶ He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, but found none. 7. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, Lo, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why encumbereth it the ground? 8. But he said to him, Lord, let it alone this year only, till I dig about it, and dung it. 9. And if it bear fruit, well; and if not, afterward, thou shalt cut it down. (The Jews bringing forth no fruits of repentance during three years and a half of Christ's ministry, their time of trial, and day of grace, they were judicially cut down, and at last actually so. Psalm lxxxi. 12.) 10. As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11. Behold, a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, being bowed together, she could not stand upright. 12. And Jesus seeing her, called her to him, and said to her, Woman, thou art released from thine infirmity. 13. For he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14. Then, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the ruler of the synagogue, with indignation, said to the people, There are six days for work; in them therefore come and be healed, but not on the Sabbath. 15. The Lord then answered him, Thou hypocrite! doth not each of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, 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 loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? 17. And having said so, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 18. Then he said, To 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 cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in its branches. 20. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21. It is like leaven, which a woman hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 22. Then he went thro' the cities and villages teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23. Then said one to him, Lord, are few saved? He replied, 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I tell you, will seek, (but they will not strive) to enter in, and (therefore) shall not be able. 25. When once the master of the house (the church's head) has arisen (to judg ment), and shut the door (of acceptance and access), and ye stand without, and knock at it, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer you, I acknowledge you not, you are none of my people. 26. Then shall ye say, We have eat en and drunk in thy presence, (at thy table), and thou hast taught in our streets, (taught us in public, thyself, or by thine apostles and ambassadors). 27. But he shall say, I tell you I know you not (as mine) whence ye are; depart from me, all ye (hypocritical) workers of iniquity. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29. And they shall come from the east, the west, the north, and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30. And, behold, there are last (in privileges) which shall be first (in improvements,) and there are first (in the way) who shall be last (in attaining the end, or lose it.) 31. The same day some of the Pharisees came, saying to him, Go out, and depart hence; for Herod will kill thee. 32. But he said to them, Go tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and do cures to-day and to-morrow, (the short period of my life,) and the third day (after my death) I shall have perfected my work (by my conquest over death, the last foe). 33. Nevertheless, I must work to-day and to-morrow, and depart the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish out of Jerusalem. 34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee! how often would I have gathered thy children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 85. Behold, your habitation (your city and state) is (soon to be) left by you desolate; and verily I tell you (that after my decease) ye shall not see me until the (time 1 Cor. xv. 18.) when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. CHAP. XIV. CHRIST HEALETH ON THE SABBATH. Now as he went into the house of a chief Phari. see to eat bread on the Sabbath, they watched him. 2. When, behold, a certain man was before him having the dropsy. 3. And Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? 4. But they were silent; and he healed him, and let him go; 5. And said to them, Which of you having an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the sabbath? 6. And they could not answer him to these things. 7. He also spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he observed how they chose the chief places, saying to them, 8. When thou art invited to a marriage-feast, take not the chief place, lest a man more honourable than thee be bidden; 9. And he who bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man the place; and thou with shame take the lowest place. 10. But go and take the lowest place; that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have honour in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11. For whoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 12. Then he said to him that invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also call thee again, and recompense thee. 13. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; 14. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the righteous. 15. Now one of them who sat at meat with him hearing these things, said to him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God, (enjoying its privileges of grace and glory.) 16. Then he said to him, A certain man (Christ) made a great supper (a gospel feast), and called VOL. III. Z 29 many (by the gospel calls): 17. And sent his servant (in the gospel work) at supper-time, (when the Mediator's work was finished) to say to those who were called (by the gospel call,) Come, for all things are now ready; (the Messiah is ascended, and the Spirit's influence is poured out from on high.) 18. And they all began severally to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee have me excused. 19. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try them, I beseech thee have me excused. 20. And another said, I have married a wife; and therefore I cannot come. 21. So that servant came and told his Lord these things (that none of them would obey the gospel.) Then the master of the house (the Messiah,) being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, lame, and blind, (since the rich, and covetous, and voluptuous refuse). 22. Then the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23. The Lord said again to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges (among the Gentiles,) and oblige them to come, that my house (my church) may be filled. 24. For I tell you, that none of those who were invited shall taste of my supper. (Heb. xii. 16, 17.) 25. Now great multitudes went with him. And he turning said unto them, 26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple(if he love any of these more than me he is not worthy of me, Matth. x. 37.) 27. And whoever bears not his cross, (willingly suffers on my account), and comes after me, cannot be my disciple. 28. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first and counts the cost, whether he |