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• remained until this day

but I fay unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for 'thee.'

Luke proceeds to the election of Peter, James, and John; who, in this account, appear to have been influenced by a miracle which above all others, feems beft calculated for the purpose. As Jefus ftood by the lake of Gennezareth, the people crouded round him to hear the word of God; he entered Simon's fhip, and defired he would put off a little from the land in this fituation, having taught the people; he defired Simon to launch into the deep and let down the net; Simon replied, that they had toiled all · night, and taken nothing, but at his request they would make another attempt: in doing this, they inclosed so many fish that the net gave way. Upon this Simon called to his partners, James and John, who were in another ship, for their affiftance: thus united, they fo filled both the ships, that they began to fink, Simon was fo alarmed at thofe circumftances, that he fell on his knees before Jefus, and exclaimed- Depart 'from me, for I am a finful man, O Lord.' To which Jefus replied- Fear not; from hence'forth thou fhalt catch men. And when they ' had brought their fhips to land, they forfook all, and followed him.' Nothing is faid about Andrew; but I apprehend he was with them.

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This account of Luke's differs confiderably from that of Matthew and of Mark.

We will next examine John's, which differs from them all, with respect to this election. Ch. i. v. 35.— Again the next day after, John

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(the Baptift) ftood, and two of his difciples:

and looking upon Jefus as he walked, he faith, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two dif'ciples heard him fpeak, and they followed

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Jefus.' He turning asked whom they fought? They fay-Master, where dwelleft thou? He replied-Come and fee. They followed and ftaid with him that night. The next morning one of them, which appears to be Andrew, went in fearch of his brother Simon Peter, tells himWe have found the Chrift,' and brings him to Jefus; who, upon his approach, says Thou 6 art Simon the fon of Jona: thou shalt be called 'Cephas' (a ftone). The next day Jefus walkin Galilee, faw Philip, and said to him-' Follow 'me.' (Philip, Andrew, and Peter were inhabitants of Bethsaida). Philip findeth Nathaniel, and faith unto him-We have found him of whom Mofes in the law, and the prophets did write, Jefus of Nazareth, the fon of Jofeph. And Nathaniel faid unto him, Can "there be any good thing come out of Nazareth*?

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*The Galileans at that time were remarkable for their obftinacy and contempt of death.

Philip faith unto him-Come and fee. Jefus faw 'Nathaniel coming to him, and faith of him

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Behold an Ifraelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Nathaniel faith unto him, Whence knoweft 'thou me? Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, 'Before that Philip called thee, when thou waft under the fig tree, I faw thee. Nathaniel faith • Rabbi, thou art the Son of God: thou art the 'King of Ifrael.' (This Ifraelite without guile feems alfo without fufpicion of guile, and of a very eafy faith.) Jefus faid to him, Because I faid unto thee, I faw thee under the fig-tree, believeft thou? Thou fhalt fee greater things than these. Adding-Hereafter you fhall fee "Heaven open, and the angels of God afcending ⚫ and defcending upon the Son of Man.' Though Nathaniel was treated with this diftinction, he was not elected one of the twelve, and even what became of him we know not; nor how, when, or where the promise made to him was fulfilled,

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Having examined the four accounts given of this election by the evangelifts, in which John differs very much from Luke, and Luke differs as much from Mark and Matthew: without any prospect of reconciling them we will proceed with John's hiftory, as it relates fome things omitted by the others. Ch, ii. v. 1.• And the third day (after the baptifm) there was 4 a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mofther of Jefus was there; and both Jefus and

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his difciples were called to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jefus

faith unto him, They have no wine.' (An odd application; and the receives as odd an anfwer) 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine

hour is not yet come.' She however orders the fervants to obey any directions he might give them; and he foon after tells them to fill fix pots, of two or three firkins a-piece, with water; having fo done, he orders them to draw off, and bare the water, now become wine, to the governor of the feast. He having tafted it; accufed the bridegroom of having acted contrary to the general custom- Every man at the beginning, ' doth fet forth good wine: and when men have 'well drunk (which was the case with them; or 'their stock was fmall) then that which is worse : but thou haft kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jefus in Cana of Galilee, and manifefted forth his glory, and his · disciples believed on him.' Luke records a miraculous draught of fish to induce Peter, James, and John to become difciples; here John affigns a tempting inducement for Peter, Andrew, and Philip wine produced from water. But how happens it, that John, who was fo materially concerned in the former, fays not a word about it; and that he, who does not appear to have any concern in the latter, is the only one who records it? After this he went down to ⚫ Capernaum,

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Capernaum, he and his mother, and his bre- Chapter Verfe 'thren, and his difciples.' If his brethren were with him at Capernaum where (Luke tells us) he performed fo many miracles, and where fo many devils proclaimed him to be the Chrift, the Son of God, &c. what occafioned their unbelief, &c. John, ch. vii. v. 5? They might reasonably diftruft the devils; but if they faw the miracles, why urge a repetition of them to enforce a belief? When Jefus was electing his difciples, Mark, ch. iii. v. 21. tells us When his

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friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on • him; for they said, He is befide himself. The next scene John produces, is the cleanfing of the temple; but as it does not ftand in the order of time recorded by the other three, we will return to Matthew's history.

And Jefus went about all Galilee, teaching iv. in their fynagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of 'fickness, and all manner of disease among the

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people. And his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought to him all fick people 'that were taken with divers difeafes, and tor

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ments, and those which were poffeffed with de

vils, and those which were lunatic, and those

❝ that had the palfie: and he healed them. And

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⚫ there followed him great multitudes of people f from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from

Jerufalem, and from Judea, and from beyond

' Jordan.'

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