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15 comeft thou to me? And Jefus anfwering, faid unto him, Suffer it to be fo now; for thus it becometh 16 us to fulfil all righteoufnefs (/). Then he fuffered him. And Jefus when he was baptized, went up ftraightway out of the water and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he faw the Spirit of God defcending like a dove (m), and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, faying, This is my belov ed Son, in whom I am well pleased.

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CHA P. IV.

HEN was Jefus led up of the Spirit (a) into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fafted forty days and forty nights, he was af terwards an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he faid, If thou be the Son of God, command 4 that thefe ftones be made bread. But he answered and faid, It is written, Man fhall not live by bread alone (b), but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh himup into the holy city, and fetteth him on a pinnacle

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(2) As Baptifm denotes a preparation for entering upon a new religion, it is not fit that so folemn and facred a Rite (however unneceffary in my particular cafe) fhould be omitted on this occafion. For I am willing to fubmit to any condefcenfion, and to conform to any cuffom that can tend to promote the caufe of piety and virtue.

(m) It is not neceffary to fuppofe that the Spirit of God appeared in the fhape of a Dove, but that the fluttering motion with which it came down, and hovered over him, was like that of a dove.

(a) Led by the holy Spirit of God. Let us learn from the temptation of Chrift, not to be difcouraged when under any temptations. They are not always proofs of God's difpleasure, but are trials of our obedience, and if we use them right, will be means of our improvement.

(5) It is only by God's good pleafure and appointment, that food hath power to nourish us. See Wifdom xvi. 26.

And his Providence is at all times fufficient for our fupport and relief, either by ufual or extraordinary means, for all are equally in his power: we are therefore never to defpair.

6 of the temple, And faith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, caft thyfelf down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they fhall bear thee up, left at 7 any time thou dafh thy foot against a stone. Jefus faid unto him, It is written again, (c) Thou shalt not 8 tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and fheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glo9ry of them: And faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and 10 worship me. Then faith Jefus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou fhalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, (d) and behold, angels came and miniftered unto him.

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Now when Jefus had heard that John was caft into 13 prifon, he departed into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the fea-coaft, in the borders of Zabulon and 14 Nephthalim: That (e) it might be fulfilled which 15 was fpoken by Efaias the prophet, faying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nepthalim, by the way of the fea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the 16 Gentiles (f): The people which fat in darkness, faw great light and to them which fat in the region and fhadow of death, light is sprung up.

17 From that time Jefus began to preach, and to fay, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven (g) is at hand.

(c) On the other hand, to run wilfully into unneceffary danger, and then expect that Providence will interpofe for our fafety, is a moft finful prefumptión. It is making an experiment, as it were,' how far the power and goodness of God can reach.

(d) We fee that the word of God, juftly applied, affords a fure` defence against the affaults of the Devil, and that if we refift him, be will flee from us.

(e) Ifaiah ix. 1, 2. See Chap. 4. Note (d).

(f) The upper Galilee, bordering on the Gentile nations.

(g) The kingdom of Heaven is to be underflood, as in Chap. iii. 2.

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18 And Jefus walking by the fea of Galilee, faw two brethren, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, cafting a net into the sea: (for they were fishers) 19 And he faith unto them, Follow me, and I will make 20 you fishers of men (b). And they straightway left 21 their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he faw other two brethren, James the fon of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a fhip with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called 22 them. And they immediately left the fhip and their father, and followed him.

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And Jefus went about all Galilee, teaching in their fynagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of fickness, 24 and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria (i): and they brought unto him all fick people that were taken with divers diseases, and torments, and those which were poffeffed with devils, and those which were lumatick, and those that had the palfy; and he heal25 ed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people, from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerufalem, and from Judea, and from bcyond Jordan.

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ND feeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was fet, his difci2 ples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, 3 and taught them, faying, Bleffed are the poor in

(h) You fhall have a far better employment; in recovering men from ignorance and fin, and bringing them into the way of truth and falvation.

(2) Syria was a country of large extent, bordering on the Holy

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4 fpirit:

4 fpirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (a). Bleffed

are they that mourn (b): for they fhall be comforted. 5 Bleffed are the meek: for they fhall inherit the 6 earth. Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirft after righteoufnefs (c): for they fhall be filled. Bleffed are the merciful: for they fhall obtain 8 mercy. Bleffed are the pure in heart: for they fhall 9fee God. Bleffed are the peace-makers: for they 10 fhall be called the children of God (d). Blefied are

they which are perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake (e): II for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Bleffed are ye when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil against you falfly for my 12 fake: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for fo perfecuted they the prophets which were before you.

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Ye are the falt of the earth (f): but if the falt have loft his favour, wherewith fhall it be falted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be caft out, 14 and to be trodden under foot of men (g). Ye are the light

(a) Bleffed are the humble-minded; for they are of a fit difpofition to receive the gospel, and become my difciples, Chap. ii. 2. (6) That they mourn for their fins with a godly forrow, which worketh repentance not to be repented of.

(c) They who carnefily defire to improve the foul in all virtue and goodness; which are as neceffary to its well-being, as meat and drink are to the fupport of the body.

(d) They imitate the divine goodness and love to mankind, and fhall therefore be acknowledged by God for his children..

(e) For the fake of Chrift and his religion, which, though it ex-pole its profeffors to perfecution, is not however without its peculiar rewards. See Mark x. 30. Note.

(f) As falt is ufeful to keep meat fweet, fo you must take care that your inftructions and example may be of ufe to purify the world, and keep it from the corruption of fin': otherwife you will be rejected, and caft out of the favour of God.

(g) In that country, rock falt lies level with the ground, and to fuch an extent, that long roads are made over it: but it is remark, able, that when the furface is broken by digging, the parts expofed

light of the world. A city that is fet on a hill, can15 not be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bufhel; but on a candlestick, and it giveth 16 light unto all that are in the house. Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

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Think not that I am come to destroy the law (b), or the prophets. I am not come to deftroy, but to 18 fulfil. For verily I fay unto you, Till heaven and earth país, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pass 19 from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whofoever therefore fhall break one of thefe leaft commandments, and fhall teach men fo, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven (i): but whofoever shall do, andteach them, the fame fhall be called great in the king20 dom of heaven. For I fay unto you, that except your righteousness fhall exceed the righteousness (k) of the

Scribes

to the weather are found to lose their favour, and become unfit for ufe.

(h) I am come, not to teach any thing contrary to what God hath been pleased to command. The foundation of my religion is in the law and the prophets; and the intent of it is, to explain and inforce, to fulfil and complete, what hath been already delivered by them in a lefs perfect manner.

(i) He fhall be called, fignifies not only he shall be reputed, but he will actually be, leaft in the kingdom of heaven; that is, he is unworthy to profefs the religion of Chrift; whereas he that takes the best care to keep Chrifl's commands, and to promote the like obedience in others, is the beft Chriftian, and fure of the highest reward.

(k). The righteoufnefs on which the Scribes and Pharifees valued themselves, was a fcrupulous attention to outward obfervances: but the righteoufnefs that intitles a man to the profeffion and reward of a Chriftian, confifts in purity of heart and holinefs of life; for it is not merely keeping the commandments according to the letter that will be accepted by God, but fulfilling them in their true fpirit and intention, regulating and fubduing every defire of the heart, which might lead to the breach of any of them, even in the lowest degree, as our bleffed Lord inflances in three feveral cafes; which, if they could be tried in courts of law, ought to be condemned there, ac

cording

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