SECT. IX. сн. 13. 58 When thou goest with thy creditor to the magis- Mat. 5; 25trate, endeavour on the road to satisfy him, lest he drag thee before the judge, and the judge consign thee to the sergeant, and the sergeant commit 59 thee to prison; I assure thee, thou wilt not be released, until thou hast paid the last mite. SECTION IX. THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM. XIII. THERE were then present some who informed Jesus of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had min2 gled with that of their sacrifices. Jesus answering, said unto them, Think ye that these Galileans were the greatest sinners in all Galilee, because 3 they suffered such usage? I tell you, 'No; but 4' unless ye reform, ye shall all likewise perish:' or those eighteen whom the tower of Siloam fell upon, and slew; think ye that they were the 5 greatest profligates in all Jerusalem? I tell you, No: but unless ye reform, ye also shall all perish. 6 He also spake this parable. A man had a figtree planted in his vineyard, and came seeking 7 fruit on it, but found none. Then he said to the vine-dresser, This is the third year that I have CH. 13. SECT. IX. Mat. 13; 31 'come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, without find8ing any. Cut it down, why should it cumber 'the ground?' He answered, 'Sir, let it alone one year longer, until I dig about it and dung it; 9' perhaps it will bear fruit: if not, thou mayest 'afterwards cut it down." 10 ONE sabbath, as he was teaching in a syna11 gogue, a woman was present who had for eighteen years had a spirit of infirmity, whereby she was so bowed down, that she could not so much as look up. 12. Jesus, perceiving her, called her to him, and laying his hands on her, said, Woman, thou art delivered from thine infirmity. Immediately she stood up14 right, and glorified God. But the director of the synagogue, moved with indignation because Jesus had performed a cure on the Sabbath, said to the people, There are six days for working; come, therefore, on those days, and be healed, and not 15 on the Sabbath-day. To which the Lord replied, Hypocrites, who is there amongst you, that doth not on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the 16 stall, and lead him away to watering? And must not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath kept bound, lo, these eighteen years, 17 be released from this bond on the Sabbath-day? On his saying this, all his opposers were ashamed ; but the whole multitude was delighted with all the glorious actions performed by him. 18 He said, moreover, What doth the kingdom of 19 God resemble? Whereunto shall I compare it? It SECT. IX. 20 сн. 13. resembleth a grain of mustard seed, which a man Again he said, Whereunto shall I compare the Mat. 13; 33. 21 kingdom of God? It resembleth leaven which a 22 woman mingled in three measures of meal, until AND he took a journey to Jerusalem, teaching Mat. 9; 35. 23 as he passed through cities and villages; and one asked him, Master, are there but few who shall 24 be saved? He answered, Force your entrance Mat. 7; 13. through the strait gate; for many, I assure you, will request to be admitted, who shall not prevail. 25 If once the master of the house shall have arisen Mat. 25; 10: and locked the door, and ye standing without and knocking, say, 'Master, master, open unto us,' he will answer, I know not whence ye are.' 26 Then ye will say, 'We have eaten and drunk with thee, and thou hast taught in our streets.' & 25; 41 27 But he will answer, I tell you, I know not Mat. 7; 23. 'whence ye are : remove hence, all ye workers of unrighteousness.' Then will ensue weeping and 28 gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, received into the kingdom of God, and yourselves ex29 cluded: nay, people will come from the east, from the west, from the north, and from the south, and will place themselves at table in the kingdom of 30 God. And behold they are last who shall be first, Mar. 10; 31. and they are first who shall be last. 4Q VOL III. Mat. 19; 30. CH. 14. SECT. IX. 31 The same day certain Pharisees came to him, and said, Get away; depart hence, for Herod intend32 eth to kill thee. He answered, Go tell that fox, To-day and to-morrow I expel demons and perform cures, and the third day my course will be 33 completed. Nevertheless I must walk about to-day and to-morrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should be cut off any where Mat. 23; 37 34 but at Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, aud stonest them whom God sendeth to thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her brood 35 under her wings, but ye would not. Quickly shall your habitation be transformed into a desert; for verily I say unto you, ye shall not again see me, until the time when ye shall say, "Blessed be "he who cometh in the name of the Lord 46." XIV. IT happened on a Sabbath, when he was gone to eat at the house of one of the rulers who was a Pharisee, that, while the Pharisees were observing him, a man who had a dropsy stood before him. 2. Then Jesus, addressing himself to the lawyers and Pharisees, said, Is it lawful to cure on the Sab4 bath? They being silent, he took hold of the man, 5 healed and dismissed him. Then resuming his dis course, he said to them, Who amongst you, if his ass or his ox fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, 46 Jehovah. SECT. IX. сн. 14. 6 will not immediately pull him out? And to this they were not able to make him a reply. 7 Observing how eager the guests were to possess the higher places at table, he gave them this injunc8 tion, When thou art invited to a wedding, do not occupy the highest place at table, lest one more 9 considerable than thou be bidden, and he who invited you both come and say to thee, Give place to this man, and thou shouldst then rise with confu10 sion to take the lowest place. But, when thou art invited, go to the lowest place, that when he who bade thee cometh, he may say to thee, 'Friend, 'go up higher;' for that will do thee honour be Prov. 25; 7. ch. 18; 14. 11 fore the company. For whoever exalteth himself, Mat. 23; 12. shall be humbled; and whoever humbleth himself, shall be exalted. 12 He said also to him who had invited him, When thou givest a dinner or a supper, do not invite thy rich friends, brothers, cousins, or neighbours, lest they also invite thee in their turn, and thou be 13 recompensed. But when thou givest an entertain ment, invite the poor; the maimed, the lame, the 14 blind; and thou shalt be happy for as they have not wherewith to requite thee, thou shalt be requited at the resurrection of the righteous. 15 16 py Rev. 19; 9. One of the guests hearing this said to him, Haphe who shall feast in the reign of God. Jesus Mat. 22; 2 said to him, A certain man made a great supper and 17 invited many. And at supper-time he sent his ser vants to tell those who had been bidden to come 18 presently; for that all was ready. But they all, |