Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

LUKE.

CHAP. VII.

Ir And it came to pafs the day after, that he went into a city called Naim; and many of his difciples went with him, and much people.

12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only fon of his mother, and fhe was a widow and much people of the city was with her.

13 And when the Lord faw her, he had compaffion on her, and laid unto her, Weep

not.

14 And he came and touched the bier, (and they that bare him flood ftill) and he said, Young man, I fay unto thee, Arife.

15 And he that was dead, fat up, and began. to fpeak and he delivered him to his mother.

JOHN.

The next day he went to Naim another City of Galilee, being attended by at great many of his Difciples and a Multitude of other People. At his entrance into the Town they met a Funeral: The Deceafed was the only Son of a Widow of that place, and the Corps was follow'd by a great many of the Citizens. Jefus taking notice of the Widow's Tears, and compaffionating her Mifery, bid her be of good comfort; and immediately approaching the Bier, he took hold of it, upon which they that carried it ftop'd. Then Jefus with a loud Voice bid the Youth arife, who immediately obey'd the Divine Summons, rais'd himself, and began to fpeak. Thus Jefus rescued this dead Person from the Grave, and reitor'd him to his

Mother..

[blocks in formation]

LUKE.

CHA P. VII.

16 And there came a fear on all and they glorified God, faying, That a great prophet is rifen up among us; and, That God hath vifited his people.

17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about.

18 And the difciples of John fhewed him of all these things.

19 And John calling unto him two of his difciples, fent them unto Jefus,

JOHN.

Mother. All that faw the Miracle were ftruck with a religious Terror, and gave thanks to God for having fent fo great a Prophet to them, and for manifesting his Care and Protection of the People, whom he had chofe by this and many other Miracles that Jefus wrought among them. The Fame of this Miracle, by which was fulfill'd that Prophecy of Jefus, that the Dead fhould fhortly hear his Voice, was spread throughout Judaa and all the neighbouring Country.

CHAP. XXIV.

John being in prifon fends two of his Difciples to Jefus to inquire of him who he was, to whom Jefus demonftrates himself to be the Meffiali, not by Words, but by his Miracles: Afterwards he reproves the unbelieving Jews, and invites all to become his Difciples.

THE Difciples of John the Baptift, who, as we have related, was imprison'd at Macherus, acquainted him with the Miracles Jefus wrought, and the Doctrine he deliver'd. John, who knew him to be the Merah by a Revelation from Heaven, wonder'd there had not been a greater Change in the Affairs of the Jewish Nation, fince Jefus had entred upon his Miniftry above a Twelvemonth. He called therefore two of his Difciples to him, and fent them to Jefus to inquire

of

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHAP. XI.

3 And faid unto him,

Art thou he that should

come, or do we look for another?

4 Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and fee:

The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up,

CHAP. VII.

faying,

Art thou he that fhould
come, or look we for a-
nother?

20 When the men

were come unto him,
they faid, John Baptist

hath fent us unto thee,

faying, Art thou he that
fhould come, or look we
for another?

21 And in that fame
hour he cured many of
their infirmities, and
plagues, and of evil
fpirits; and unto many
that were blind he gave
fight.

22 Then Jefus anfwering, faid unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have feen and heard,

how that the blind fee, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor

of him, as fent by him, whether he was not that Perfon that was to come (not daring publickly to call him Meffiah or King, left by expreffing himself too plainly he might irritate the Romans, as alfo the unbelieving Jews) or whether they were to expect another? They immediately obey'd, and repair'd to Jefus according to the Inftructions they receiv'd from John.

It happen'd that when these Disciples came to Jefus, he was imploy'd in publifhing his Gofpel, reftoring Health to the Sick troubled with divers Infirmities, cafting the evil Spirits out of many human Bodies, and restoring Sight to the Blind.

Jefus answer'd them therefore to this purpose: Return to your Mafter, and tell him, I have given you no direct Answer to his Queftion, but have ordered you to relate unto him what you have feen me do, and heard me teach. Now the Blind (as you perceive) thro my means recover their Sight, the Lame are cur'd of their Infirmity, the Lepers are cleans'd, the Deaf hear, the Dead are restor❜d

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

23 And blessed is he whofoever fhall not be offended in me.

24 And when the mesfengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concernJohn, What went ye out into the wilderness for to fee? A reed fhaken withthe wind?

25 But what went ye out for to fee? A man clothed in foft raiment ? behold, they which are. gorgeoufly apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings courts.

JOHN.

to Life, and the Poor have the Laws and Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven promulg'd to them; and bleffed, faid he, fall all they be that are not alienated from me by reafon of my external Appearance. By which words he infinuated that John ought not to have a lefs Opinion of him for not performing thofe Exploits which the Jews generally expected from the Meffiah. This was all the Reply that Jefus made them, as thinking it not convenient to make a publick Declaration of his being the Meffiah, leaving that Truth to be collected from his Doctrine and Miracles, to which argument he referred John: for fuch an open Profeffion would have added no weight to it, and might caufe an Infurrection among the Jews, who were very much gall'd with the Roman Yoke, and therefore defirous of a Revolution, and expected their Meffiah fhould reign over them like a glorious Conqueror, after having freed them from the Tyranny of the Romans,

The Difciples of John having left Jefus, he began to difcourfe to the People concerning Joba. What was the reafon, faid he, you went into the Defert where John liv'd before he was caft into prifon? Did you go to fee Reeds fhaken with the Wind, or John? him without doubt. But what was there fo remarkable in John? Did you expect to find a Courtier, and one confpicuous for his rich Apparel ? His Raiment von know was as mean as poflible, and fuch gaudy Perfons were to be feen daily in the Courts of Herod and Philip. In which words Jefus intimated, tho obfcurely, that the Reign of the Meffiah Thould be no ways like any terrestrial Reign, fince folm, who was the Forerunner of him, did not in the leaft refemble any of the Courtiers of the Tetrarch of Galilee or Trachonitis. Eut (continued

he)

[blocks in formation]

he) what was it you were thus earneft to fee in the Deferts where John lived? You expected, no doubt, to find a Prophet, and truly I efteem him greater than a Prophet, fince 'tis concerning this Perfon that God fays in Malachi, Behold, I will fend my Meffenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, ch. 3. 1. Now take notice that there never was a greater Prophet than John the Baptift: for he has had clearer Revelations concerning the Meffiah than all of them; and he it is who was imploy'd in promulging the Laws of the approaching Reign of the Meffiah, which were almoft wholly unknown before; and yet the meanest Perfon that fhall become a Mem ber of my Church fhall excel him in this particular. From the time that John the Baptift began to exhort you to Repentance, the Kingdom of the Meffiah has as it were been feiz'd on by Men, whom you look upon as unjuft and violent, the Tax-gatherers for inftance, and others of that stamp, who have chearfully submitted to mine and John's Baptifm.

[blocks in formation]
« VorigeDoorgaan »