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divers difeafes, and caft out many devils, and fut fered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning rifing up a great while before

day, he went out, and departed into a folitary place, 36 and there prayed. And Simon, and they that were 37 with him, followed after him. And when they had

found him, they faid unto him, All men feek for thee. 38 And he faid unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there alfo; for therefore 39 came I forth. And he preached in their fynagogues throughout all Galilee, and caft out devils.

40 And there came a leper to him, befeeching him, and kneeling down to him, and faying unto him, If 41 thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jefus, moved with compaffion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and faith unto him, I will, be thou 42 clean. And as foon as he had spoken, immediately

the leprofy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 43 And he ftraitly charged him, and forthwith fent him 44 away; And faith unto him, See thou fay nothing to any man; but go thy way, fhew thyfelf to the (i) prieft, and offer for thy cleanfing those things which Mofes commanded for a teftimony unto them. 45 But he went out, and began to publifh it much, and to blaze abroad the matter; infomuch that Jefus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in defert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

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ND again he entered into (a) Capernaum, after fome days, and it was noised that he was in the 2 houfe. And straightway many were gathered toge

4) See Mat. viii. 4. Note.

(a) He retired from the multitude, and went privately to Caperpaùm.

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ther, infomuch that there was no room to receive them, no not fo much as about the door: and he 3 preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one fick of the (b) palfy, which 4 was born of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the prefs, they uncovered the (c) roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the fick of the 5 palfy lay. When Jefus faw their faith, he faid unto the fick of the palfy, Son, thy fins be forgiven 6 thee. But there were certain of the fcribes fitting 7 there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus fpeak blafphemies? who can forgive 8 fins but God only? And immediately, when Jefus perceived in his fpirit, that they fo reafoned within themselves, he faid unto them, Why reafon ye these 9 things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the fick of the palfy (d), Thy fins be forgiven thee: or to fay, Arife, and take up thy bed and 10 walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man

hath power on earth to forgive (e) fins, (he faith to II the fick of the palfy) I fay unto thee, Arife, and

take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine houfe.. 12 And immediately he arofe, took up the bed, and went forth before them all, infomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, faying, We never faw it on this fashion.

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And he went forth again by the fea-fide, and all the multitude reforted unto him, and he taught them.

(b) So helpless that he had four perfons to carry him.

(c) The roofs of the Jewish houfes were flat, to which they had two ways of going up, viz. by ftairs on the outfide in a court-yard, and by a trap-door from within, Mat. x. 27. It was by unfastening this infide door, that they found means to let the fick man down into the house.

(d) The palfy in this inftance may have been the confequence and punishment of the man's fins. But whether it was fo or not, the power of Chrift to heal was equally evident in this miracle.

(e) See Mat. ix. 6. Note (c).

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14 And as he paffed by, he faw (f) Levi the fon of Alpheus, fitting at the receipt of cuftom, and faid unto him, Follow me. And he arofe and followed. 15 him. And it came to pass, that as Jefus fat at meat in his houfe, many publicans and finners fat alfo together with Jefus and his disciples: for there were 16 many, and they followed him. And when the fcribes and Pharifees faw him eat with publicans and finners, they faid unto his difciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and finners? 17 When Jefus heard it, he faith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the (g) phyfician,, but they that are fick: I came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance.

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And the difciples of John, and of the Pharifees, ufed to faft, and they come, and fay unto him, Why do the difciples of John and of the Pharifees 19 faft, but thy difciples faft not? And Jefus faid unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast,. while the bridegroom is with them (b)? as long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot 20 faft. But the days will come, when the bridegroom fhall be taken away from them, and then fhall they 21 faft in those days. No man alfo feweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: elfe the new piece that filled it up, taketh away from the old, and the 22 rent is made worfe. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles, elfe the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is fpilled, and the bottles will

(f) The perfon here called Levi was St. Matthew.

(g) Though you think yourselves in perfect health, and want no phyfician, fuffer me at least to relieve fuch as know they want and are defirous of my affiftance; for to fuch and fuch only I am ready to offer it.

(h) Can the guests at a wedding faft? Would that be right and becoming on fuch an occafion?

be

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be marred but new wine must be put into new. bottles (i).

And it came to pass, that he went through the corn-fields on the fabbath-day, and his difciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharifees faid unto him, Behold, why do they on the fabbath-day that which is not lawful (k) ? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what

David did, when he had need and was an hungered, 26 he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high-prieft, and did eat the fhew-bread, which is not lawful to eat, but for the priests, and gave also 27 to them which were with him? And he faid unto them, The fabbath was made for man, and not 28 man for the fabbath (/): Therefore the Son of man is Lord alfo of the fabbath.

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ND he entered again into the fynagogue, and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the fabbath-day, that they might accufe 3 him. And he faith unto the man which had the 4 withered hand, Stand forth. And he faith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the fabbath-days,

(i) As no man putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment, or new wine into old leather bottles, fo neither would it be pru dent to lay upon my difciples, who are yet weak in the faith, fuch injunctions as are fuited only to perfons better confirmed. See Mat.

ix. 16.

(k) It was exprefsly allowed by the law of Mofes, Deut. xxiii. 25. without any diftinction of days; but by their fuperftitious notion of the fabbath, it was held to be unlawful on that day.

(1) The fabbath is a gracious and merciful inftitution, intended for the benefit of man, and is never to be made a pretence for neglecting any work of neceffity or charity.

5 held their peace.

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or to do evil? to fave life, or to kill (a)? but they And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardnefs of their hearts, he faith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he ftretched it out and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharifees went forth, and ftraightway took counsel with the Herodians (b) against him, how 7 they might deftroy him. But Jefus withdrew himfelf with his difciples to the fea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, 8 And from Jerufalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan, and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great 9 things he did, came unto him. And he fpake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him, becaufe of the multitude, left they fhould throng him. 10 For he had healed many, infomuch that they preffed

upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. II And unclean fpirits, when they faw him, fell down before him, and cried, faying, Thou art the Son 12 of God. And he ftraitly charged them (c), that they should not make him known.

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And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14 And he ordained twelve, that they fhould be with

him, and that he might fend them forth to preach; 15 And to have power to heal ficknesses, and to cast 16 out devils. And Simon he furnamed Peter. And 17 James the Son of Zebedee, and John the brother of

James (and he furnamed them Boanerges, which is, 18 The fons of thunder.) And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and

(a) He faith this by way of answer to the question they had be fore put to him. Mat. xii. 10.

(b) See Chap. viii. 15. (c) See Mat. ix. 30.

James

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