сн. 12. Mat. 16; 6, 53 1 SECT. VIII. ed yourselves, and those who were entering, ye hindered. While he spake these things, the scribes and the pharisees began vehemently to press him with ques54 tions on many points; laying snares for him, in order to draw from his own mouth matter of accusation against him. XII. MEANTIME, while the crowd in myriads flocked about him, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he said, addressing himself to his disciples, Above all things, beware of the leaven of Mat. 10; 26 2 the pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be detected; nothing 3 secret that shall not be known. What ye have spoken in the dark, shall be reported in the light; and what ye have whispered in the closet, shall be 4 proclaimed from the house-top. But I charge Mar. 4; 22. you, my friends, fear not them who kill the body, 5 and after that can do no more: but I will show you whom ye ought to fear; fear him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. I re6 peat it to you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pence 45? Yet not one of them is for 7 gotten of God: yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered: fear not, therefore; ye are 8 much more valuable than sparrows. Moreover, I say unto you, whoever shall acknowledge me before men, him the Son of Man will acknowledge before 45 Value three-halfpence of our money. CH. 12. SECT. VIII. 2 Ti. 2; 12. 1 Jo. 5. 16. Mar. 13; 11. 9 the angels of God; but whoever denieth me before Mar. 8; 38. men, shall be disowned before the angels of God. Mat. 12; 32. 10 And whoso shall inveigh against the Son of Man, Mar. 3; 28. may obtain remission; but to him who detracteth 11 from the Holy Spirit, there is no remission. And Mat. 10; 19 when ye are brought before synagogues, and magistrates, and rulers, be not solicitous, how or 12 what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that moment what ought to be said. 13 Then one said to him out of the crowd, Rabbi, order my brother to divide the inheritance with 14 me. He answered, Man, who constituted me your 15 judge or arbiter? And he said to them, Be upon your guard against covetousness; for in whatever affluence a man be, his life dependeth not on his possessions. 16 He also used this example, A certain rich man had 17 lands which brought forth plentifully. And he rea 19. soned thus with himself, What shall I do; for I have 18 not where to store up my crop?--I will do this, added Ecclus, 11; he, I will pull down my barns, and build larger, and there I will store up all my product and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast plenty "of goods laid up for many years; take thine 20' ease, eat, drink, enjoy thyself.' But God said to him, 'Thou fool, this very night thy soul is required of thee. Whose, then, shall those things 21 be which thou hast provided?' So it fareth with Mat. 6; 25 Ps. 55; 22. 1 Pet. 5; 7. Mat. 6; 20. 19; 21. CH. 12. 22 SECT. VIII. him who amasses treasure for himself, but is not rich towards God. Then he said to his disciples, For this reason I charge you, be not anxious about your life, what ye shall eat; nor about your body, what ye shall wear. 23 Life is a greater gift than food, and the body than 24 raiment. Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap; have neither cellar nor barn; but God feedeth them. How much more valuable are ye 25 than the fowls? Besides, which of you can, by 26 his anxiety, prolong his life one hour? If, there fore, ye cannot thus effect even the smallest thing, 27 why are ye anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies. How do they grow? They toil not; they spin not; yet I affirm, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not equally adorned with one of 28 these. If, then, God so array the herbage, which to-day is in the field, and to-morrow is cast into 29 the oven; how much more will he array you, O ye distrustful? Ask not ye, therefore, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; live not in anxi30 ous suspense. For all these things the Pagans seek ; whereas your Father knoweth that ye need them. 31 But seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these 32 things shall be superadded to you. Fear not, my little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give 33 you the kingdom. Sell your goods and give alms; provide yourselves purses which wear not out; treasure inexhaustible in heaven, where no thieves approach, where nothing is spoiled by worms. SECT. VIII. CH. 12. 34 For where your treasure is, your heart will like 35 wise be. Let your loins be girt, and your lamps burning; 1 Pet. 1; 13. 36 and yourselves like those who wait their master's return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may immediately let him in. 37 Happy those servants whom their master, at his return, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he will gird himself, and having placed them 38 at table, will attend and serve them. And whether he come in the second watch, or in the third; if 39 he find things thus, happy are those servants. Ye Mat. 24; 43: are certain, that if the master of the house knew at Rev. 3; 3. & what hour the thief would come, he would watch, 16; 15. 40 and not allow him to break into his house. Be ye 41 then always prepared; because the Son of Man Then Peter said to him, Master, is this compa42 rison directed to us alone, or to all present? The Lord said, Who now is the discreet and faithful steward, whom the master will set over his household, to dispense regularly the allowance of corn? 43 Happy that servant, if his master, at his arrival, 44 shall find him so employed. I tell you truly, he will entrust him with the management of all his es45 tate. But as to the servant who shall say within himself, My master delayeth his return,' and shall beat the men-servants and the maids, and shall 46 feast and carouse, and be drunken; the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not ex 1 Th. 5. 2. Ja. 4; 17, CH. 12. SECT. VIII. pecing him, and at an hour he is not apprized of, and having discarded him, will assign him his por47 tion with the faithless. And that servant who knew his master's will, yet did not make himself ready, nor execute his orders, shall receive many 48 stripes; whereas he who knew it not, but did things deserving chastisement, shall receive few: for much will be required of every one to whom much is given; and the more a man is entrusted with, the more will be exacted from him. 49 I came to throw fire upon the earth; and what 50 would I, but that it were kindled? I have an immersion to undergo; and how am I pained till it 51 be accomplished? Do ye imagine that I am come to give peace to the earth? I tell you, No, but diMat. 10; 34 52 vision. For hereafter five in one family will be di53 vided; three against two, and two against three ; Mat. 16; 2. 54 father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. He said also to the people, When ye see a cloud 55 rising in the west, ye say, it will rain immediately,' and so it happeneth: and when the south wind bloweth, ye say, 'It will be hot,' and it hap56 peneth accordingly. Hypocrites, ye can judge of what appeareth in the sky, and on the earth; how 57 is it that ye cannot judge of the present time? and why do ye not even of yourselves discern what is just? |