field, which I must go and see; I pray thee have me excused.' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, which I am 20 going to prove; I pray thee have me excused.' A third said, 21 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 forthwith into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither. 22 the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind.' Afterwards the servant said, Sir, thy orders are executed, and 23 still there is room.' The master answered, 'Go out into the highways, and along the hedges, and compel people to come, 24 that my house may be filled: for I declare to you, that none of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.' 25 Matt. 10. 37. & 16. 24. AS great multitudes travelled along with him, he turned to Mar. 8. 34. 26 them and said: If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sis27 ters, nay, and himself too, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not follow me carrying his cross, cannot be my 28 disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, doth not first by himself compute the expense, to know whether he 29 have wherewith to complete it; lest, having laid the foundation, and being unable to finish, he become the derision of all who 30 see it, who will say, 'This man began to build, but was not 31 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 42 against him with twenty thousand; that, if he cannot, he may, while the other is at a distance, send an embassy to sue for peace? So, then, whosoever he be of you who doth not re- Matt. 5. 13. 34 nounce all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt become insipid, wherewith shall it be sea35 soned? It is fit, neither for the land, nor for the dung-hill, but is thrown away. Whoso hath ears to hear, let him hear. SECT. X.-PARABLES. XV. NOW all the publicans and the sinners resorted to Jesus 2 to hear him. But the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, 3 saying: This man admitteth sinners, and eateth with them. Mar. 9.50. Then he addressed this similitude to them: What man Matt. 18. 12. 4 amongst you that hath a hundred sheep, if he lose, one of them, doth not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, to go after that 5 which is lost, until he find it? And having found it, doth he 6 not joyfully lay it on his shoulders, and, when he is come home, convene his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice 7 with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost? Thus, I 8 assure you, there is greater joy in heaven for one sinner who reformeth, than for ninety-nine righteous persons who need no reformation. Or what woman, who hath ten drachmas,* if she lose one, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and search care9 fully until she find it? And having found it, doth she not assemble her female friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice 10 with me, for I have found the drachma which I had 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. And the youn12 ger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my portion of 13 the estate.' And he allotted to them their shares. Soon after, the younger son gathered all together, and travelled into a dis14 tant country, and there wasted his substance in riot. When all was spent, a great famine came upon that land, and he began 15 to be in want. Then he applied to one of the inhabitants of 16 that country, who sent him into the fields to keep swine. And he was fain to fill his belly with the husks on which the swine 17 were feeding; for nobody gave 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 with 18 hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and thee, and am no 19 longer worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy 20 hirelings.' And he arose and went to his father. When he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran 21 and threw himself upon his neck, and kissed him. And the son said, Father, I have sinned against heaven and thee, and am 22 no longer worthy to be called thy son.' But the father said to his servants,Bring hither the principal robe and put it on him, 23 and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet: bring also 24 the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and 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 26 he drew near the house, he heard music and dancing. He, therefore called one of the servants, and asked the reason of 27 this. He answered, 'Thy brother is returned, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him in 28 health. And he was angry, and would not go in; therefore 29 his father came out and entreated him. He answering, said to his father, 'These many years I have served thee, without disobeying thy command in any thing; yet thou never gavest me * About one dollar and thirty-nine cents. 30 a kid that I might entertain my friends: but no sooner did this thy son return, who hath squandered thy living on prostitutes, 31 than thou killedst for him the fatted calf.' 'Son,' replied the father, thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine: 22 it was but reasonable that we should rejoice and be merry; because this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' XVI. He said likewise to his disciples: A certain rich man had 2 a steward, who was accused to him of wasting his estate. Having therefore called him, he said, What is this that I hear of thee? Render an account of thy management, for thou shalt 3 be steward no longer.' And the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? My master taketh from me the steward4 ship; I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. I am resolved what to do, that when I am discarded, there may be some who 5 will receive me into their houses.' Having therefore sent sev6 erally for all his master's debtors, he asked one,' How much owest thou to my master?' He answered, 'A hundred baths of oil.* Take back thy bill,' said the steward, sit down di7 rectly, and write one for fifty.' Then he asked another 'How much owest thou?' He answered, A hundred homers of wheat.' Take back thy bill,' said he, and write one for eighty.' 8 The master commended the prudence of the unjust steward; for the children of this world are more prudent in conducting 6 their affairs than the children of light. Therefore I say unto you, With the deceitful mammon procure to yourselves friends, who, after your discharge may receive you into the eternal mansions. 6 10 Whoso is faithful in little, is faithful also in much; and who11 so is unjust in little, is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been honest in the deceitful, who will intrust you with 12 the true riches? And if ye have been unfaithful managers for another, who will give you any thing to manage for yourselves? 13 A servant cannot serve two masters; for either he will hate Matt. 6. 24, one, and love the other, or at least will attend one, and neglect the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14 When the Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things, 15 they ridiculed him. But he said unto them: As for you, ye make yourselves pass upon men for righteous, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is admired by men is abhorred of God. 16 Ye had the law and the prophets until the coming of John, Matt. 11. 12. since whose time the kingdom of God is announced, and every Matt. 5. 18. 17 occupant entereth it by force. But sooner shall heaven and earth perish, than one tittle of the law shall fail. Matt. 5. 32. Matt. 18. 7. Matt. 18. 21. Ecclus. 19. 13. Matt. 17. 20. 18 19 Whoever divorceth his wife, and taketh another, committeth adultery; and whoever marrieth the divorced woman, committeth adultery. There was a certain rich man who wore purple and fine lin20 en, and feasted splendidly every day. There was also a poor man named Lazarus covered with sores, that was laid at his 21 gate; and was fain to feed on the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: yea, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 It happened that the poor man died, and was conveyed by an gels to Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was 23 buried. And in hades, being in torments, he looked up, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, and cried, 24 saying, 'Have pity on me, father Ahraham, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I 25 am tortured in this flame.' Abraham answered, 'Son, remember that thou, in thy life-time, receivedst good things, and Lazarus received evil things; but now he is in joy, and thou 26 art in torments. Besides, there lieth a huge gulf betwixt us and you, so that they who would pass hence to you, cannot ; 27 neither can they pass to us who would come thence.' The other replied, I entreat thee then, father, to send him to my 28 father's house; for I have five brothers; that he may admonish 29 them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' Abra30 ham answered, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. Nay,' said he, father Abraham, but if one went 31 to them from the dead, they would reform.' Abraham replied, 'If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one should arise from the dead.' 6 SECTION XI.-INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS. XVII. THEN Jesus said to his disciples: It is impossible to 2 exclude snares entirely, but wo unto him who insnareth. It would be more eligible for him to have an upper millstone fastened to his neck, and to be cast into the sea, than to insnare any of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against 4 thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him; and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day return to thee, saying, I repent,' thou shalt forgive him. Then the apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith. 6 He answered: If ye had faith, though it were but as a grain of mustard-seed, ye might say to this sycamine, 'Be extirpated and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. 5 7 Would any of you, who hath a servant ploughing or feeding cattle, say to him, on his return from the field, Come imme8 diately, and place thyself at table?' and not rather, Make ready my supper; gird thyself, and serve me, until I have eaten. 9 and drunken; afterwards thou mayest eat and drink. Is he 10 obliged to that servant for obeying his orders? I suppose not. In like manner say ye, when ye have done all that is commanded you,' We thy servants have conferred no favor; we have done only what we were bound.' 11 NOW, in travelling to Jerusalem, he passed through the 12 confines of Samaria and Galilee, and being about to enter a certain village, there met him ten lepers, who stood at a dis13. tance, and cried out, Jesus, Master, take pity upon us. When Lev. 14. 2. he saw them, he said to them: Go, show yourselves to the 15 priests. And as they went they were cleansed. And one of them perceiving that he was healed, turned back, glorifying 16 God aloud. Then throwing himself prostrate at the feet of Jesus, he returned him thanks: now this man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said: Were not ten cleansed ? Where then are the 18 other nine? Have none returned glory to God, except this 19 alien? And he said to him: Arise, go thy way, thy faith hath cured thee. 20 Being questioned by the Pharisees when the reign of God should commence, he answered: The reign of God is not ush21 ered in with parade; nor shall people say, 'Lo here!' or 'Lo yonder for behold the reign of God is within you. 2 2 2 2 22 Matt. 24. 23. Then he said to his disciples: The time will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and 23 shall not see it. But when they say to you, 'Lo here,' or Mar. 13. 21. 24 Lo yonder,' go not out to follow them. For as the lightning flasheth in an instant from one extremity of the sky to the other, so will the appearance of the Son of Man be in his 25 day. But first he must suffer much, and be rejected of this 26 generation. And, as it happened in Noah's days, it will also Matt. 24. 37. 27 happen in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married and were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, when the deluge came and destroyed 28 them all. In like manner as it was in the days of Lot, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they 29 built; but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and Gen. 19. 24. 30 brimstone from heaven, which destroyed them all. So will it 31 also be on the day when the Son of Man shall appear. On that day, let not him who shall be on the house-top, having his furniture in his house, come down to take it away. Let not & 16. 25. 32. him who shall be in the field, return home. Remember Lot's Matt. 10. 39. wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it; and Mar. 8. 35. VOL. II. 37 |