people. Thus saith God the Lord, I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house: and I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. The eyes of them that see shall not be dim; and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers; and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it. The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. And many nations shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem". For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea'. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth. I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth'. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising". Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah". After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know ye the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord'. SECT. 9. These promises were fulfilled by the coming of our Lord Jesus. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people; and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. That was the true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world". For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He that cometh from heaven is above all; and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth. He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal, that God is true: for he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. Now Jesus leaving Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea-coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all"; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles'. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; * him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent'. SECT. 10. His divine instructions show that he is truly the light of the world. Then spake Jesus unto them, saying, I am the light of life; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.. Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life". All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son my will reveal him. If ye had known me, ye should have known Father also. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is lights. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life". And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias; and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and of recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and gave it again to the minister, and sat down: and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears'. Yet a little while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth*. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light'. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight". And he turned unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them". If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. If ye con tinue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". If a man love me, he will keep my words; he that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings; and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come'. SECT. 11. His complaints of the perverseness, hypocrisy, and folly of that generation to which he preached. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. Because my word hath no place in you; and because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. that is of God, heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God". For judgment I am come into this world; that they which see not, might see; and that they which see, might be made He blind. And some of the Pharisees said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, fore your sin remaineth. sin remaineth. Wo unto If ye were blind, We see; thereyou scribes and * John, xvi. 12, 15. John, viii. 37. |