and gnashing of Teeth. Have you underftood all these things? They say to Him, Yes. Then faid He to them, Therefore every Scribe, inftructed in the Kingdom of Heaven, is like a Man that is an Houtholder, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old. Refp. This is, alas! too true of us and our unhappy Countrey, where Religion is like a treafure bid in a field, which they that feek can scarcely find, and they that find dare not difcover. *Lord, let Thy Parables be thorowly verifid,and make us gladly part with all we have to purchase it. Heaven is a treasure of incomparable riches; Heaven is a Pearl of inestimable value. *Lord, let ThyLeffon 102.

When JESUS had finifht these Parables, He went thence, and came to N zareth, his Own Countrey, where He had been brought up, and His Difciples follow'd Him: and as His cuftom was, He enter'd into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and ftood up to read. And there was deliver'd Him the book of the Prophet Efay; and as He unfolded the book, He found the place where it was written,

you written, The Spirit of the Lord is

upon

me, for which He has anointed me to Evangelize to the poor, He has fent me to heal the contrite of heart, to Preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovedry of fight to the Blind, to fet at liberty them that are bruifed: To Preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of retribution. And He clofed the book, and gave it again to the Minifter, and fat down and the eyes of all in the Synagogue were faftned on Him. And, He began to fay to them,this day is thisScripture fulfill'd in your ears. And all bare Hin witnefs, and wonder'd at the Gracious words which proceeded out of HisMouth. Refp. What Thou wert sent to do, Thou haft fully perform'd, O Glorious Redeemer if the World! Thou haft open'd eyes of the Blind, and the underandings of the Ignorant. And, all thofe miraculous truths, which the Prophets foretold, are perfectly fulfiled in Thee. Thon haft heal'd the bruifes of our fallen Nature, and reftor'd our Souls to ftrength and liberty, Thou haft deliver'd us from the dominion of Satan,and open'd to our hopes the Kingdom of Heaven. And, allH 3

the

Leffon

Leffon 103.

And they said, Is not this Jofephs Son? how came he by this Wifdom and Miracles? Is not this, the Carpenter, is not bis Mother called Mary, and his Brothers Fames and fefes and Simon and Jude? and his Sifters are they not all with us? Whence then has he all these things? And they were fcandaliz'd in Him. But, JESUS faid to them, Surely you will fay to Me this Proverb, Phyfician, heal thy felf, the great things we have heard done in Capernaum, do alfo here in thy Country. And He faid, Verily I fay to you, A Prophet is not without honour, but in His own Country, and in His own houfe, and among His own kindred. I tell you in truth, Many Widows were in Ifrael in the days of Elias; when the Heaven was fhut up three years and fix months, and great Famine was throughout all the Land: and to none of them was Elias fent, but to a Widow in Sa10 repta of Sidon. And, many Lepers were in Ifrael, under Elizear the Prophet: and none of them was cleanfed, fave NaSamanthe Syrian, And, all in the Synagogue, when they heard thefe, things,

were fill'd with wrath; and rofe up and thruft Him out of the City, and led Him to the brow of the Hill (whereon their City was built) that they might caft Him down headlong, But, He paffing through the midst of them, went His way. And, He could not do any Miracles there; but cur'd a few that were fick, by laying His hands on them. And He wonder'd at their incredulity.

Refp. Thus does our weakness judge of others, or worse, perhaps, our malice cen fure their qualities: we rafhly conclude upon outward prefumptians, and little confider their inward worth; We are apt to undervalue whom we familiarly are acquainted with, and scarce can think highly of them whom we have once known low. Heal us, O Thou great Phyfici an of our Souls! beal us of all our dir feafes; and, above them all, of our rude impatience towards thofe that would

cure us.

What ever they do who know Thee not, let not Thy Church dishonour Thee, nor thofe of Thine Own Houshold undervalue Thy Mercies: let not our unbelief chace Thee away, nor our ingratitude overcome Thy Goodness, Heal usH 4

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Leffon 104.

And,when a convenient day was come, the Birth-day of Herod, he made a Sup per to the Princes and the Tribunes and the Chief of Galilee. And the Daugh ter of Herodias came in and danced be fore them, and pleafed Herod and them that fat with him: and the King faid to the Damfel, Ask of me whatever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he fware to her, Whatever thou shalt ask of me I will give it thee, though it be half my Kingdom. And the went forth and faid to her Mother, What fhall I ask? And the faid, the Head of John the Bap tift. And the, fore-inftructed by her Mother, came in ftraightway with ha to the King, and asked faying, I will that forthwith thou give me in a Charger the Head of John the Baptist. And the King was exceeding forry: nevertheless, for the Oaths fake, and for them who fat with him at meat, he would not contriftate her; but order'd it to be given her: And immediately fent an Executioner, who went and beheaded Jobs in Prifon. And his head was brought in a Charger, and given to the Damfel; and

the