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But the ship was tossed with waves: and in the fourth

apart to pray :* and when the evening was 24 come, he was there alone. now in the midst of the sea, 25 for the mind was contrary watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, 26 walking on the sea. And when the disciples,

saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit: and they cried 27 out for fear. But immediately Jesus spake

unto them, saying, Be of good cheer: It 28 is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me 29 come unto thee on the water. And he said,

Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to 30 Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, 31 saying, Lord, save me.† And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, 32 wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

34 And when they were gone over, they came 35 into the land of Gennesareth. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and 36 brought unto him all that were diseased; and

'We often read of Christ's seeking retirement for the purpose of prayer.

saw

A most astonishing miracle. Well might they who it, exclaim of a trath, thou art the son of God,

besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

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CHAP. XV.

Then the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem 2 came to Jesus, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat 3 bread.* But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment 4 of God by your tradition ?† For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, he that revileth father or mother, 5 let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever I have which might be profitable to 6 thee is a gift devoted to God; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your 7 tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah

*The disciples of Jesus disregarded merely the tradition or ceremony of the Jewish Rabbins: But these transgressed even the positive command of God.

† Our Lord seldom disputed with the Jews. He rather declined occasions for it. But sometimes, as in this case, he showed them the impropriety of their construction of the law, and in the presence of the people, pointed out the evil tendency of their traditions.

Corban signifies a gift devoted to religious use. And the Pharisees taught that a child, who should devote or pretend to devote its gains or property, should be free fall obligation to support its parents.

8 prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is 9 far from me and in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of

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men.

And he called the multitude, and said unto 11 them, Hear, and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth 12 a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant which

my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be 14 rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind

leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead 15 the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then

answered Peter, and said unto him, Explain 16 unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye 17 also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out 18 into the draught? but those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the 19 heart and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blas20 phemies. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands, defileth not a man.*

In the gospel, there is nothing like superstition; but the most sublime and rational morality.

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Then Jesus went thence, and 22 the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

departed into And behold, a woman of Canaan* came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daugh23 ter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her 24 away, for she crieth after us. But he answered

and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep 25 of the house of Israel. Then she came and 26 worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But

he answered aud said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's 28 table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made 29 whole from that very hour.t And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee: and went up into a mountain, 30 and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet: and 31 he healed them: insomuch that the multitude

* Our Lord preached only to the Jews; nor did his apostles go to the Gentile word, until after several years preaching to their own countrymen from the death of Christ. This woman was not a Jewess, though she inhabited a country bordering on Judea, and was no doubt acquainted with the Jewish scrip tures which predicted the coming of the Messiah.

† See Mark, vii. 25.

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wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.*

Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should

we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to 34 fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they 35 said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the 36 ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks to God, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disci37 ples to the multitude. And they did all eat,

and were filled: and they took up of the broken 38 meat that was left seven baskets full. And they

who did eat, were four thousand men, beside 39 women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship: and came into the coasts of Magdala.

CHAP. XVI.

1 THE Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting him, desired that he would shew

*Who had raised up for them a great Prophet and at Savior.

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