сн. 14. SECT. IX. Mat. 10; 37. & 16; 24. Mar 8; 34 without exception, made excuses. One said, 'I have purchased a field, which I must go and see; 19 I pray thee have me excused.' Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, which I am go20ing to prove; I pray thee, have me excused.' A 21 third said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I 'cannot go.' The servant, being returned, related all to his master. Then the master of the house was angry, and said to his servants, 'Go forth' with into the streets and lanes of the city, and 'bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the lame, 22 and the blind.' Afterwards the servant said, 'Sir, thy orders are executed, and still there is 23' room.' The master answered, 'Go out into the highways, and along the hedges, and compel people to come, that my house may be filled: 24 for I declare to you, that none of those who were 'invited shall taste of my supper.' 25 AS great multitudes travelled along with him, 26 he turned to them and said, If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters; nay, and him27 self too, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not follow me carrying his cross, cannot 28 be my disciple. For, which of you intending to build a tower, doth not first by himself compute the expense, to know whether he have wherewith 29 to complete it; lest, having laid the foundation, and being unable to finish, he become the derision 30 of all who see it, who will say, 'This man began SECT. X. CH. 15. 31 to build, but was not able to finish.' Or what king going to engage another king with whom he is at war, doth not first consult by himself, whether he can with ten thousand men, encounter him who cometh against him with twenty thousand; 32 that, if he cannot, he may, while the other is at a 33 distance, send an embassy to sue for peace. So then, whosoever he be of you, who doth not renounce all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good; but if the salt become insipid, Mat. 5; 13. wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fit, neither for the land, nor for the dunghill, but is thrown away. Whoso hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mar. 9; 50. SECTION X. PARABLES. XV. NOW all the publicans and the sinners resorted 2 to Jesus to hear him. But the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man admitteth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 Then he addressed this similitude to them: Mat. 18; 124 What man amongst you, who hath a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, to go after that which is 5 lost, until he find it? And having found it, doth 6 he not joyfully lay it on his shoulders, and, when CH. 15. SECT. X. 'he is come home, convene his friends and neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I 7have found my sheep which was lost?' Thus, I assure you, there is greater joy in heaven for one sinner who reformeth, than for ninety-nine righteous persons who need no reformation. 8 Or what woman, who hath ten drachmas 47, if she lose one, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the 9 house, and search carefully, until she find it? And having found it, doth she not assemble her female friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had 10 lost.' Such joy, I assure you, have the angels of God, when any one sinner reformeth. 11 He said also, A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me my portion of the estate.' And 13 he allotted to them their shares. Soon after, the younger son gathered all together, and travelled into a distant country, and there wasted his substance 14 in riot. When all was spent, a great famine came upon that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he applied to one of the inhabitants of that country, who sent him into his fields to keep swine. 16 And he was fain to fill his belly with the husks on which the swine were feeding; for nobody gave 17 him aught. At length, coming to himself, he said, 'How many hirelings hath my father, who have all 'more bread than sufficeth them, while I perish 47 About 6s. 3d. sterling. SECT. X. CH. 15. 18' with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and 'will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against 19 heaven and thee, and am no longer worthy to be 'called thy son; make me as one of thy hire20lings.' And he arose and went to his father. When he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and threw himself upon 21 his neck, and kissed him. And the son said, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and thee, ' and am no longer worthy to be called thy son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring hither 'the principal robe and put it on him, and put a 23' ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet: bring ' also the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and 24 be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' So they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field walking home. And as he drew near the house, he heard 26 music and dancing. He, therefore, called one of 27 the servants, and asked the reason of this. He answered,Thy brother is returned, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath 28 received him in health.' And he was angry, and would not go in; therefore his father came out 29 and entreated him. He answering, said to his father, 'These many years I have served thee, with' out disobeying thy command in any thing; yet thou never gavest me a kid that I might entertain " my friends; but no sooner did this thy son return, who hath squandered thy living on pros 30 сн. 16. SECT. X. 'titutes, than thou killedst for him the fatted calf.' 31 Son,' replied the father, 'thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine: it was but rea32'sonable that we should rejoice and be merry; be cause this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' 6 XVI. HE said likewise to his disciples, A certain rich man had a steward, who was accused to him of 2 wasting his estate. Having, therefore, called him, he said, 'What is this that I hear of thee? Ren'der an account of thy management, for thou 3' shalt be steward no longer.' And the steward said within himself, What shall I do? My mas'ter taketh from me the stewardship; I cannot 4dig, and am ashamed to beg. I am resolved 'what to do, that when I am discarded, there may be some who will receive me into their 5' houses.' Having therefore sent severally for all his master's debtors, he asked one, 'How much 6 'owest thou to my master?' He answered, ‘A hundred baths of oil 48. Take back thy bill,' said the steward,' sit down directly, and write one 7 for fifty.' Then he asked another, 'How much 'owest thou?' He answered, 'A hundred ho8' mers" of wheat.' Take back thy bill,' said he, eighty.' ' and write one for The master com mended the prudence of the unjust steward; for 48 A bath thought equal to 7 1-half English gallons. |