together with the Parents of the deceased. Being entred, he found the Mourners and Pipers, with other Preparations for the Funeral, ready according to the manner of the Jews. Jefus therefore told them they need not make fuch a Tumult, nor be fo much concern'd for their fuppos'd Lofs; for that the Maid was only afleep, that she fhould quickly be wak'd out of it, and that the should not die this time: But they be gan to jeer him, well knowing that she was really dead. Nevertheless, Jefus bid 'em all depart out of the Room in which the Girl lay, except her Parents: then taking her by the hand, Maid, said he, arife. The words were no fooner pronounc'd Dd buc but her Soul return'd unto her, and the immediately got up, being about twelve years old. Then Jefus, to demonftrate that this was no magical Illufion, and to convince them that he was perfectly recover'd, order'd 'em to give her fomething to eat. The Parents could not but look upon this Miracle with the greatest admiration; and were fo fill'd with joy for the miraculous Favour beftowed on them, that they would have fpread the Rumor of it far and near, if Jefus had not exprefly charged them not to divulge it, left it should occafion a too numerous Refort of men unto him. Nevertheless, the Fame of it went through all the Country, from which many infer'd that he was the Meffiah. Being now upon his return home, there followed him two blind men to the House where he lodg'd, crying all the way they went, O Son of David, have mercy on us. Jefus therefore ask'd them whether they had fuch MATTHEW. CHA P. IX. Jefus faith unto them, Believe 29 Then touched he their eyes, faying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30 And their eyes were opened; and Jefus ftraitly charged them, faying, See that no man know it. 31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man poffeffed with a devil. 33 And when the devil was caft out, the dumb fpake: and the multitudes marvelled, faying, It was never fo seen in Ifrael. 34 But the Pharifees faid, He cafteth out, devils through the prince of the devils. fuch a great Idea of the Power wherewith he was invefted by God, as to be perfuaded he was able to reftore them to their fight. They replied, they were firmly perfuaded that he was able. Jefus therefore touch'd their Eyes, and told them he was willing they fhould be cur'd, fince they had this juft notion of the divine Power by which he acted: Upon which they both immediately recovered. Jefus forbid them to publish this fo great a Miracle for the reafon before mention'd, and particularly because they had ftil'd him the Meffiah. But they, as foon as they were out of his fight, could not refrain themselves, as thinking it injurious to their Benefactor not to divulge what was fo very much to his honour. Shortly after there was brought to Jefus a man poffeffed with an evil Spirit, which had depriv'd him of the ufe of his Speech. Jefus taking pity of him, commanded the Damon to depart out of him, who inftantly obeyed, and the man began to fpeak. Now this fort of Damon being the most difficult of all to be caft out, the Multitude wonder'd that it fhould obey the very firft Summons, af-. firming they had never feen the like. But the Pharifees, who were bitter Enemies to Jefus, endeavour'd to perfuade the People that he caft out the evil Spirits by an Authority deriv'd from the Prince of them; that therefore he was a Magician, and not a Prophet. Dd 2 CHAP. Jefus goes to Nazareth, and by reafon of his mean Condition is not efteemed by his Countrymen as a Prophet. He takes a Prophet. He takes a progress into the Country, and teaches in every Town he paffes through. He furnifbes his Apoftles with Inftructions for propagating the Gospel, who having received their Commission, set forward on their Journey. JESUS now determin'd to return to Nazareth, where he bad been above a year ago, but ftaid a very little while there, his Countrymen having defign'd to throw him down headlong from the Mouutain, as we have related chap. 14. fo far were they from embracing his Doctrine: But their Anger being appeas'd by Time, and he having acquir'd a greater Reputation by the many Miracles he wrought after he left them, he hop'd to find them in a better difpofition to receive the Truth. Accordingly he went to Nazareth, together with his Apoftles, and on the Sabbath-day difcours'd before the People in the Synagogue concerning the Laws and Promifes of the Kingdom of Heaven. Many of his Hearers wonder'd how it was poffible for him to fpeak with fo much Eloquence, and perform fo many Miracles as they had been credibly inform'd of. They ask'd one another therefore whether MATTHEW. CHAP. XIII. 55 Is not this the carpenters fon? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Jofes, and Simon, and Judas? $6 And his fifters, are they not all with us? whence then hath this man all these things? 57 And they were offended in him. But Jefus faid unto them, A prophet is not without honour, fave in his own country, and in his own house. 58 And he did not many mighty works there, 宁 fave that he laid his hands upon a few fick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of because of their un- their unbelief. whether he were not the Son of Jofeph the Carpenter, and bred up among them to the fame Trade; whether his Mother's name was not Mary; and whether his Relations James, Fofes, Simon, and Jude, Sons of another Mary, and their Sifters were not all still Inhabitants of Nazareth? How then, faid they, can a man of fo mean Parentage, who has dwelt fo long among us at Nazareth, acquire fo great Learning? Therefore none of the Nazarenes would believe on him; for which reafon Jefus applied this proverbial faying, A Prophet is no where lefs efteemed than among his own Countrymen, to them, as he had done the last time he was among them, and for which they were fo enrag'd against him. Thefe men therefore not being induc'd to believe on him by the Relation of the many Miracles wrought by him, he had no opportunity of performing any among them, which he was wont to do only in favour of Believers. Nevertheless he cur'd a few fick People that were brought to him, by laying his Hands on them, but did no other Miracle among them by reafon of their amazing Obftinacy, who had nothing to object against him but the meanness of his Family. Jefus |