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tors (s), till he should pay all that was due unto him.
So likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto
you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one
his brother their trefpaffes.

IAN

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ND it came to pafs, that when Jefus had finished thefe fayings, he departed from Galilee, and 2 came into the coafts of Judea, beyond Jordan: And great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there.

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The Pharifees alfo came unto him, tempting him, and faying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put 4 away his wife for every caufe? And he answered and faid unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and 5 female (a); And faid, For this caufe fhall a man leave father and mother, and fhall cleave to his wife: 6 and they twain fhall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put afunder. 7 They fay unto him, Why did Mofes then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He faith unto them, Mofes, because of the hardness of your hearts, fuffered you to put away your wives: 9 but from the beginning it was not fo. And I fay unto you, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and fhall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery (b).

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(s) To be imprifoned and punished with the utmoft feverity.. (a) One male and one feniale, and joined them together as man and wife. This union then has the fanction of God, which cannot be diffolved but for the guilt of the parties.

(b) The ceremony and form of a fubfequent marriage, whilft the former is fubfifting, cannot release either man or woman from their

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His difciples fay unto him, If the case of the man II be fo with his wife, it is not good to marry (c). But

he faid unto them, All men cannot receive this 12 faying, fave they to whom it is given (d). For there are fome eunuchs, which were fo born from their mother's womb; and there are fome eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themfelves eunuchs for the king-dom of heaven's fake (e). He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

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Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray (ƒ): 14 and the difciples rebuked them. But Jefus faid, Suf

fer little children, and forbid them not to come unto 15 me for of fuch. is the kingdom of heaven (g). And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

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And behold, one came and faid unto him, Good mafter, what good thing fhall I do that I may have 17 eternal life? And he faid unto him, Why calleft

vows: therefore for fuch as are already married to others, to cohabit together, though under the name of husband and wife, is adultery. See Rom. vii. 3. Herod's marriage with Herodias, Mark vi. 17. and Felix's marriage with Drufilla, A&ts xxiv. 25. though probably folemnized in the ufual form, yet were of this kind, and their cohabiting together was not the lefs finful.

(c) This was faid by the difciples, not in public, but when they were come into the houfe. Mark x. 10.

(d) Notwithstanding all the hazards and inconveniencies which you may think belong to matrimony, every one cannot enjoy a fingle life: fuch continence being the fpecial gift of God. 1 Cor. vii. 7. Can the church of Rome then have any right to bind monks and nuns, and all their clergy, by vows not to marry, when probably many cannot abftain without fin?

(e) That is, they abftained from matrimony that they might be freeto embrace chriftianity, which at that time expofed them who profelfed it to fuch difficulties and dangers, as the cares of a family might have difcouraged them from undergoing.

(f) Pray for them and blefs them. Mark x. 16.

(g) The kingdom of the gofpel confifts of fuch fubjects. Chap..

XVI. 4.

thou

thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God (b): but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the 18 commandments. He faith unto him, Which? Jefus faid, Thou fhalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou fhalt not fteal, Thou shalt 19 not bear falfe witnefs, Honour thy father and thy mother and, Thou fhalt love thy neigh20 bour as thy felf. The young man faith unto him,

All these things have I kept from my youth 21 up (i): what lack f yet? Jefus faid unto him, 3 If thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft,

and give to the poor, and thou fhalt have treasure in 22 heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that faying, he went away forrowful for he had great poffeffions.

-23 1 Then faid Jefus unto his difciples, Verily I fay unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the 24 kingdom of heaven (k). And again I fay unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a

(h) The title you have given me, if you defire it to be underflood in its true and full import, implies your belief, that I am come from God; for he alone is the author and fource of all good.

(i) He had kept the commandments in the way the Jews ufually did, according to the letter, but not as Chrift required, in a liberal and enlarged fenfe, Chap. vii. 28. The love of riches was the darling paffion of his heart, and he took not due care to fubdue or regulate it. It is to this particular cafe that our Lord's admonition is directed; and it is therefore to be understood, not as a precept of perfection to Chriflians to embrace a state of voluntary poverty, but as a command to all to part with riches, as we must with what'ever is dear to us, when we are tempted to do any thing contrary, to our duty, See Chap. v. 29. Note.

(k) Here again we must remember, that to enter into the kingdom of heaven is to become a Chriftian, which they who had great poffeffions were unwilling to do, on account of the loffes they might fuflain by perfecution. But the everlafting kingdom of glory hereafter is equally open to all true difciples of Chrift, rich, or poor; for, it is not the condition we are placed in here, whether it be high or low, but the ufe we make of it, that will determine our condition in the life to come.

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needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom 25 of God. When his difciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, faying, Who then can be 26 faved (1) But Jefus beheld them, and faid unto them, With men this is impoffible, but with God all things are poffible (m).

27 Then answered Peter, and faid unto him, Behold,

we have forfaken all, and followed thee; what shall 28 we have therefore? And Jefus faid unto them, Verily I fay unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man fhall fit in the throne of his glory, ye alfo fhall fit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael. 29 And every one that hath forfaken houses, or brethren, or fifters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's fake, fhall receive an hundred30 fold (n), and fhall inherit everlafting life.

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But many that are firft, shall be laft; and the laft fball be first (0).

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FOR the kingdom of heaven is like unto a manthat is an houfholder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard (a).

2 And (1) If the rich and great do not become Chriftians, how then can the gofpel be established?

(m) In the ordinary courfe of things it may feem to be impor fible: but God is nevertheless able to accomplish his own purposes, even by the most improbable and unexpected means.

(n) In the peace, comfort, and joy, of his own mind, which are infinitely more valuable than all worldly goods; and he shall moreover be entitled to an eternal inheritance in heaven.

(0) But prefume not on this as an unconditional diftin&tion; all the honours and rewards of Chriftianity depend on the real excellency of your lives; eminent as you are, you may fall off; and if you do, they who are now inferior, will be preferred before you, in proportion as they excel you in obedience.

(a) By this parable the Jews were taught, that the Gentiles were equally beloved by God with themfelves, and though not admitted

2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a 3 penny a day, he fent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and faw others 4 standing idle in the market-place, And faid unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatfoever is right, I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the fixth and ninth hour, 6 and did likewife. And about the eleventh hour (6) he went out, and found others ftanding idle, and faith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They fay unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He faith unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, 8 and whatsoever is right, that fhall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard faith unto his fteward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the 9 firft. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the firft came, they fuppofed that they

should have received more; and they likewife re II ceived every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the 12 house, Saying, these laft have wrought but one hour, and thou haft made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and faid, Friend, I do

thee no wrong: didft not thou agree with me for a 14 penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I 15 will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? is

into covenant fo early, yet if they made a better ufe of that benefit, would be preferred before them. But no conclufion can be drawn from this parable in favour of a death-bed repentance; the plain de fign of it being, on the contrary, to fhew the neceffity of care and diligence, if we expect the favour of God.

(b) The Jews divided the day from fun-rife to fup-fet into twelve hours, John xi. 9. The eleventh hour then was the laft hour of the day before the fun went down.

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