Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

MATTHEW.

CHA P. XII.

16 And charged them that they fhould not make him known:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was fpoken by Efaias the prophet, faying,

18 Behold, my fervant whom I have chofen, my beloved in whom my foul is well pleased: I will put my fpirit upon him, and he thall thew judgment to the Gentiles.

19 He shall not Arive, nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

[ocr errors][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

afoon as they faw him, fell down on their knees, and being acted by the evil Spirit, proclaim'd him to be the Meffiah or Son of God. But Jefus immediately commanded 'em to be filent, not being willing as yet to have that Truth divulg'd, left his Followers, who were in expectation of an earthly Empire, fhould raife fome Tumult upon that account, and his Enemies take occafion from thence to accufe him as a riotous and feditious Perfon.. By which remarkable Prudence of Jefus, that prophecy of Jaiah is fulfill'd, in which we have this Defcription of the Meffiah, chap. 42. 1, &c. Behold my Servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my foul delighteth: I have put my Sprit upon him, he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles. He fhall not cry, nor lift up, nor caufe his Voice to be heard in the street. A bruifed Reed fhall be not break, and the Smoking Flax fhall be not quench: He

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

fball bring forth Judgment unto Truth, and the Ines fhall wait for his Law. In which words are contain'd an excellent Character of the mild and merciful Difpofition of Jefus, fo averfe to all Tumult and Sedition, and full of a zealous Concern for the Salvation of thofe in all Nations who have the leaft fpark of Virtue remaining inthem.

CHAP. XX.

The Election of the twelve Apostles. The Multitude that followed Jefus~ and were cur'd by him, so great as to be troublesom to him.

NOT

OT long after Jefus retir'd into a hilly part of the Country not far from the Lake of Gennefareth, and went alone to a Mountain, that he might spend the Night in Prayer without interruption. At break of Day He returned to his Difciples, and having called feveral by name unto him, he chofe twelve out of them, who were conftantly to attend on him, to whom he gave a Hebrew Name, in Greek Apostle, which fignifies Messenger, because he defign'd to fend 'em abroad with the good Tidings of the approaching Reign of the Meh.

To

[blocks in formation]

To thefe afterwards he gave the Power of working Miracles, and cafting out evil Spirits. These are the names of the twelve Apoftles: Simon, who, as we have related, was call'd Cephas or Peter by Jefus when he first faw him; Andrew his Brother, James and John Sons of Zebedee, whom he call'd Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, nam'd alfo Levi, Thomas firnam'd Didymus,imes the Son of Alpheus; Judas the Son of James, call'd also Thaddans, Simon tirnam'd the Canaanite or Zelot; and Judas Iscariot, who afterwards betrayed Jesus..

With thefe Jefus came down from the Mountain into the Plains; and the reft of his Difciples repair'd unto him, and a vait Multitude from Jerufalem and all Judea,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Judea, and the maritime part of Phenicia (where are fituated the Cities of Tyre and Sidon) to hear his Doctrine, or to prefent the Sick to him to be healed by him. There were brought alfo fuch as were poffefs'd with evil Spirits, whom he likewife cur'd, and not only thofe he spoke to, or on whom he laid his Hands, were cur'd by him, but even thofe who did only touch his Clothes: So that a miraculous Power of curing all manner of Distempers feem'd continually to flow from him.

Jefus having continued for fome time here, return'd to Capernaum, and lodg'd in the Houfe he formerly fojourn'd at. But there was fo great a Concourfe of People to hear him, or to be freed from their Infirmities by him, that he had fcarce any time to eat and being thus continually molefted, there was a Rumour fpread about of his being fallen into a Swoon, which made fome of his Relations,, who were fettled at Capernaum, come to him, that they might be in a readiness » to affift. him..

CHAP

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The Difcourfes of Jefus to his Difciples and others upon a Hill near Capernaum; in which are contain'd the chief Heads of the Chriftian Morality, far exceeding that of the Jews, especially in thofe particulars that refpect the patient enduring of Afflictions, and the exercise of Goodwill towards all men.

ESUS afterwards went into the Mountainous part of the Country about Capernaum, and was followed by a great many Difciples, whom he inftructed in a Morality which they had never been taught by the Jewish Doctors.

Bleffed (faid he) are the poor in this World, and the humble minded, fuch as are like you; for they fall be Partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Rich, who pride themselves in their Riches, are not to be accounted happy, tho they be vulgarly efteem'd fo by the Jews and other Nations, fince they fhall have no share in the Felicity of the Mafian's Reign.

Take heed that you do not look on thofe as miferable, who in this Life struggle with divers Calamities, as if God were angry with them, and thereby executed upon them the Punishments the Law has threatned Offenders with; for, if they continue to worship God, and adhere to a fteddy Courfe of Virtue, eternal Happinefs in another Life fhall be their Recompenfe for the Miferies they have endur'd in this.

Bleffed

« AnteriorContinuar »