believe me not; I have done many wonderful Works before your Faces here on 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly: fo fhall the fon of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh fhall rife in judgment with this generation, and fhall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold a greater then Jonas is here. Earth, and now nothing will fatisfie you but a Sign from Heaven: I tell you, God will not vouchsafe any more Signs to this Generation; but only one fuch Sign as was that of the Prophet Jonas, to render them inexcufable. 40. For as Jonas after having been three Days buried in the Sea in the Belly of the Whale, was caft up again alive: So Chrift, after he fhall be killed and buried in the Earth, fhall on the third Day be raised again. 41. And then this Generation fhall by being compared with the People of Nineveh, appear to be moft juftly condemned to utter deftruction. For when the Men of Nineveh were preach'd to by Jonas, who was a Stranger, and but a mean Perfon; who continued among them but three Days, and wrought no Miracles racles to confirm his Miffion; they yet hearkned to him and repented: But this Generation, though they have Chrift himself fent to preach to them; though they hear his Doctrine, and fee his Miracles; though they wonder at the Authority and Plainnefs with which he teaches, and are aftonished at the Power by which he acts; yet they are not by all these things brought to Repentance. 42. Again, this Generation fhall by being compared with the Queen of Sheba, appear to be moft juftly condemned and deftroyed. For The having heard afar off the Fame of Solomon's Wif. dom, took a very long Journey to go and fee and admire it: But the Men of this Generation, having a Teacher of far greater Wif dom and Knowledge, offering himself to instruct them in their own Streets, yet despise and reject him. 43, & 44, & 45. I will tell you therefore by an eafie Similitude, what shall be the Cafe of the Men of this Generation, and how they fhall be dealt with. As an evil Spirit, when he is caft out of a Man, wandreth through the World, and not meeting with Entertainment elsewhere, returns to the fame Man again; and if he finds him difpofed and fitted to receive him, enters into him again, and brings also many other evil Spirits with him; fo that the ftate of that Man becomes ten times worse than it was at firft: Even fo fhall it be with the Men of this Generation: Ignorance, Superstition, and Malice, like fo many evil Spirits, have by the preaching of the Gospel been beginning to be in fome meafure difpelled from amongst them; but meeting with less Entertainment even in the Heathen World than among the Jews, and finding the Hearts of thefe Men ftill prepared to receive and entertain them, they return into them again, and filling them with more incurable Wickedness and Impenitence than ever, fit them for a moft dreadful and exemplary Deftruction. 46. While Jefus was difcourfing thefe things, his Mother and fome other of his nearest Relations, hoping (as it should seem) to draw him away from the Dangers which he exposed himself to, came and defired to speak to him. 47. But not being able to get near him for the Crowd of People, one that stood nigh told him, that his Mother and other Relations waited to fpeak to him. 48. But Jefus answered him and faid; who are they, whom ye call my my Mother and Brethren? Do ye think that I efteem of People by neernefs of Blood, by any earthly Relation or Affections? 49. And pointing towards his Difciples, he added, and faid; No: But these are they, whom ye ought more properly to call my Relations. 50. For whoever fhall hear the Word of God, and believe and embrace and obey it; thefe are the Perfons, whom I look upon as my trueft Friends and Relations, and efteem them as my Mother and Brethren and Sifters. CHAP. |