.. MATTHEW.

CHA P. XV.

30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them thofe that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and caft them

MARK.

CHAP. VII.

33 And he took him afide from the multitude, and put his fingers into his cars, and he fpit, and touched his tongue.

34 And looking up to heaven, he fighed, and faith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35 And ftraightway his ears were opened, and the ftring of his tongue was loofed, and he spake plain.

36 And he charged them that they should tell no man : but the more he charged them, fo much the more a great deal they published it,

37 And were beyond meafure aftomifhed, faying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

therefore stepping afide with the man, put his Fingers into his Ears, and touch'd his Tongue with Spittle, not with a defign to cure him by that outward application, but to give as it were, according to his cuftom, fome Emblem of the invifible Power by which he acted. Then lifting up his Eyes to Heaven, he figh'd, as being fenfibly touch'd with the Mileries of Mankind, and faid in the Syriac Language, Be open'd. Which words were no fooner fpoken, but the man recover'd the perfect ufe both of his Ears and Tongue.

Now Jefus forbad the man that was cur'd, and thofe that brought him, to divulge the matter, but the more he charged them, the more officious were they in publifhing the Miracles of their Benefactor. Wherefore all men were truck with the greateft admiration, and readily acknowledg'd he had perform'd all the Miracles faiah had foretold fhould be wrought by the Meffiah, in thefe words: ch. 35. 5. The Eyes of the Blind fhall be opened, and the Ears of the Deaf shall be unstop'd; ina much as he had made the Deaf to hear, the Blind to fee, and the Dumb to speak. For thefe reafons abundance of People flock'd to him from all parts, and brought with them the Lame, the Blind, the Deaf and Maim'd, and many other fick per

Tons

fons who were laid at Jesus's feet, to be healed of their Infirmities, and were all cur'd by him with a word's fpeaking, infomuch that all men were amaz'd to hear thofe that a moment before were dumb, to fpeak plainly; and to fee Cripples im mediately use their Limbs as freely as if they had never ail'd any thing; and they glorified God, who confer'd by the means of Jefus fuch great Benefits on the Jewish Nation.

CHA P. XXXV.

Jefus feeds four thousand men with seven Loaves and a few Fifbes: Goes to Dalmanutha. The Pharifees are fruftrated in their expectation of a Miracle from him. He returns to the other fide of the Lake, and difcourfes concerning the Leven of the Sadduces and Pharifees. He fails to Bethfaida, where he cures a fick perfon. From thence he goes to the Territory of Cæfarea Philippi. He asks his Difciples on the Road what opinion the generality had of him, and what theirs was; and then tells them he must die, and they fuffer many things for his fake.

A Bout this time, a great Multitude being with Jefus, and his Apoftles in the Deferts near Decapolis, and unprovided of Provifions, he call'd his Apostles to him, telling 'em, he pitied the Multitude who had for three days followed

him,

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him, and were now deftitute of Victuals: If, faid he, we difmifs them fafting, 'tis to be fear'd, in the condition they now are, that many of 'em, who live at a great distance, will perish on the Road. The Difciples who, as we have related, took not fufficient notice of the Miracle whereby he entertained 5000 men with five Loaves and two Fishes, told him they could not find Bread fufficient in that defert Country to fatisfy fuch a Multitude. But Jefus ask'd them how many Loaves they had for themfelves; they told him, feven. After this he commanded the whole Multitude to fit down on the Ground; and having receiv'd the Loaves, he bleffed them, and breaking them gave the Fragments to his Apostles to be diftributed among the People.

The Apoftles had a few fmall Fifhes befides, which he likewife commanded them to diftribute among the Multitude, who made a full Meal of the Loaves and

Fishes;

Filles; and the broken pieces and fcraps that were left, fill'd feven Baskets. Now there were about four thoufand Men, befides Women and Children, who were thus miraculously fed. Jefus therefore, that he might not be continually molested with fuch a Crowd, who 'twas likely followed him rather to be fed than to be inftructed, went on board a little Veffel with his Apoftles, and fail'd over to the Coaft of Dalmanutha, not far from Magdala. Being landed there, feveral Sadduces and Pharifees came and difputed with him concerning his Authority, requiring fome Miracle from Heaven as a demonftration of his divine Million. Jefus replied to this purpose: If the Sun fets bright, and the Sky looks red, you think it a token of fair Weather the day after; and in the morning, if the Sky be red and lowering, you account it the Forerunner of a Tempeft. O ye Counterfeiters of Virtue, you can ufe your reafon and experience in predicting the change of the Weather; Why do you feem fo wholly void of Reafon,as not to be able to tell, whether the Signs of thofe times which you ftill expect, have not already happen'd accord ΚΚ

ing

ing to the Predictions of the Prophets? In which words Jefus hinted at the Signs of the coming of the Meffiah. Then fetching a deep figh because of their Malice; This wicked Race, faid he, whofe Minds are alienated from the Service of God, expect a Miracle in confirmation of my being fent from Heaven, as if I had not perform'd any; but there fhall be none granted to them for a demonftration of this Truth, except fomething that fhall happen to me like what befel the Prophet Jonas. Afterwards he left that Country, and failed over to the western fide of the Lake: Now the Apoftles had forgot to buy Bread, and had but one. Loaf with them in the Veffel. As they were failing over, it happen'd that Jefus admonish'd them diligently to beware of the Leven of the Pharifees, and of Herod, and the reft of the Sadduces. The Apoftles reflecting upon their not having bought Bread, thought that Jefus had upbraided them with their negligence, in obfcure terms, and caution'd them against buying any for the future of thofe who were addicted to either of the Sects mention'd.

Jefus obferving their mistake, thus rebuk'd them: O you who have fuch mean Notions of the Goodness and Power of God, what makes you imagin that your