Page images
PDF
EPUB

21 So is he that layeth up treafure for himfelf, and is .. not (b) rich towards God.

22

[ocr errors]

And he faid unto his difciples, Therefore I fay unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye fhall eat; neither for the body, what ye fhail put, The life is more than mcat, and the body is 23 on. 24. more than raiment. Confider the ravens for they neither low nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: How much 25 more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his ftature one 26 cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is leaft, why take ye thought for the reft ? Confider the lilies how they grow: They toil not, they fpin not, and yet I fay unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God fo clothe the grafs, which is to day in the field, and to-morrow is caft into the oven (i): how much more will be clothe you, O ye of little faith? And feek not ye what ye fhall eat, or what ye fhall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind (k). 30 For all these things do the nations of the world feek after and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

27

29

31

But rather feek ye the kingdom of God, and all 32 thefe things fhall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give 33 you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms:

provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treafure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief ap34 proacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where 35 your treasure is, there will your heart be alfo. Let

(h) So is he that is anxious about the things of this life, and neglects to provide for eternity.

(i) See Note on Mat. vi. 30.

(k) Neither indulge an anxious unfettled temper.

your

[ocr errors]

loins (1) be girded about, and your lights burnyour 36 ing; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open 37 unto him immediately. Bleffed are thofe fervants whom the Lord, when he cometh, fhall find watching: verily, I fay unto you, that he fhall gird himfelf, and make them to fit down to meat (m), and will 38 come forth and ferve them. And if he thall come in the fecond watch, or come in the third watch, (n) and find them fo, bleffed are thofe fervants. 39 And this know, that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would have come, he would have watched, and not have fuffered his choufe to be broken through. Beo yeu therefore ready alfo for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think note throat

401

41 Then Peter faid unto him, Lord, fpeakeft thou 42 this parable to us, or even to all? And the Lord faid, Who then is that faithful and wise steward (6), whom his lord fhall make ruler over his houfhold, to give them their portion of meat in due feafon (p)? 43 Bleffed is that fervant whom his lord, when he 44 cometh, fhall find fo doing. Of a truth I fay unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he 45 hath. But and if that fervant faydin his wheart,

(1) The Jews wore loofe garments, which they were obliged to gird about them when they were preparing for any buhnels! Our bleffed Lord means, that we should be prepared and ready to receive him at his coming to judgment, as diligent fervants are when they wait to receive their mafter, at whatsoever hour he may come homey (m) He will raife them to the greatest honours. lol T (n) See Mat. xiv. 25. Mark xiii. 35, to How our jadi garsət bas (0) I fpeak to every faithful and wife fervant, who wilhas/tote> commend himself to his master's favour. bolbard ybsgila

(p) The highest office in the family was to diftribute to the other fervants, their respective daily allowance; which, according to the custom of those times, was given to every one of them in separate portions.

My

1

My lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, 46 and to be drunken: The lord of that fervant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in funder, and will appoint him his portion with the 47 unbelievers (q). And that fervant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did accord48 ing to his will, ihall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ftripes, fhall be beaten with few fripes. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him fhall be much required and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more...y 493 I am come to fend fire (r) on the earth, and what 50 will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a bap

[ocr errors]

tifm (s) to be baptized with, and how am I ftraitened 51 till it be accomplished! Suppofe ye that I am come

to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather 52 divifion. For from henceforth there fhall be five in one houfe divided (t) three againft two, and two 53 against three. The father fhall be divided against

the fon, and the fon against the father: the mother Stagainst the daughter, and the daughter against the mother: the mother-in-law against her daughter-inlaw, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-inlaw.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

(9) Hypocrites, ice. unfaithful fervants. See Mat. xxiv. 1. Noter of Vinur bis 9909 1

[ocr errors]

-(r) Not according to the will and intention of Chrift ; but men perverfely make the gofpel of peace an occafion and engine of cruelty. The fire of perfecution will firft break out in my deftruction: and feeing that the will of God and the falvation of men can no otherwise be accomplished, how great is my defire that this fire were already kindled!

(s) For the meaning of this baptifm, fee Mat. xx. 22.

(2) My faithful followers must likewife foon expect the dreadful effects of fiery zeal, even from their nearest friends and relations.

54

And he faid alfo to the people, When 'ye see a cloud rife out of the weft, ftraightway ye fay, There 55 cometh a fhower; and fo it is. And when ye fee

the fouth-wind blow, ye fay, There will be heat, and 56 it cometh to pafs. Ye hypocrites, ye can difcern

the face of the fky, and of the earth: but how is it, 57 that ye do not difcern this time (z)? Yea, and why, even of yourselves, judge ye not what is right?

58

When thou goeft with thine adversary to the magiftrate (w), as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayeft be delivered from him, left he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the offi59 cer, and the officer caft thee into prifon. I tell thee, thou fhalt not depart thence, till thou haft paid the very laft mite.

CHA P. XIII.

THERE were prefent at that feafon, fome that told him of the Galileans, whofe blood Pilate had 2 mingled with their facrifices (a). And Jefus anfwering, faid unto them, Suppofe ye that thefe Galileans were finners above all the Galileans, because they 3 fuffered fuch things (b)? I tell you, Nay: but ex

(*) You are attentive enough to the common occurrences o of nature, and form juft conclufions from them: how then can you be indifferent to this time, when the Meffiah is come, and your rejection of him will bring deftruction upon you.

(w) It is too late for a man to clear himfelf when fentence is palled upon him. So is it likewife with fuch as die in a flate of im penitence. Sentence will then be paft, and it will be impoffible to efcape. Truft not then to the deceitful inventions of fuch as pretend to have power to controul, and set afide, the juft judgment of God: but repent in time, as the only way to avoid the divine wrath.

(a) For refaling to pay tribute to the emperor, Pontius Pilate had caufed them to be flain as they were facrificing in the temple. (b) Judge not cenforioufly of thofe who fuffer by the common accidents and misfortunes of life: but let fuch examples teach you to amend your own lives, knowing that it is a fearful thing to die in your fins, and to fall into the hands of the living God..

4 cept ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perifh. Or thofe eighteen, upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and flew them, think ye that they were finners above all 5 men that dwelt in Jerufalem? I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye fhall all likewise perish.

16

[ocr errors]

He fpake alfo this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and 7 fought fruit (c) thereon, and found none. Then

faid he unto the dreffer of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come feeking fruit on this figtree, and find none: cut it down, why cumbereth it 8 the ground? And he answering, faid unto him, Lord, let it alone this year alfo, till I fhall dig about g it, and dung it. And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou fhalt cut it down (d).

ΙΟ

14

1

And he was teaching in one of the fynagogues on the II fabbath. And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed 12 together, and could in no wife lift up herfelf. And when Jefus faw her, he called her to him, and faid unto her, Woman, thou art loofed from thine infir13 mity. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately fhe was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the fynagogue answered with indignation, because 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 15 be healed, and not on the fabbath-day. The Lord then anfwered him, and faid, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the fabbath loose his ox or his afs from the ftall, and lead him away to wa

(c) In this parable is fhewn the long-fuffering and forbearance of Almighty God. Let it teach us, not only to reverence and glorify the divine mercy, but to imitate it, by fhewing compaffion and tenderness on every occafion towards each other.

(d) If we do not prove fruitful in good works under the culture of God's providence and patience, we shall at last be cut down in his wrath.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »