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God will miraculously preferve you:
For if you be indeed the Son of God,
you have a promise in Scripture
(Pfalm xci. 11.) that he shall give his
Angels charge concerning thee, and in
their hands they shall bear thee up, left at
any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7. But Jefus answered; Again the
Scripture faith, (Deut. vi. 16.) Thou
halt not tempt the Lord thy God. In
fent Dangers we are to rely upon God;
but we must not wilfully throw our
felves into Danger, on purpose to tempt
his Power or Goodness to work a Mira-
cle to preferve us.

pre

8. This Temptation likewife failing; the Devil refolves to make one tryal more; and carrying him up into an exceeding high Mountain, he at once made to him a reprefentation of all the Kingdoms of the World, in their greateft Splendour and Glory.

9. And faith, All these things will I give you; you fhall have all the Riches, and Honour, and Pleasure, that the whole World can afford; if you will but pay me an Acknowledgment, and worship me.

10. But Jefus anfwered with Indignation; Depart from me, Satan; For the Scripture faith (Deut. vi. 13.) Thou fhalt worship the Lord thy God, and bim only fhalt thou serve.

II. The Devil being thus thrice difappointed and baffled, and defpairing to fucceed in any other Temptations, departed from Jefus: And good Angels came and miniftred unto him, rejoycing at his Victory, comforting him after his Trial, refreshing him after his long Fast.

the Son of God, cast thy felf down for it is written, He fhall give his angels

charge concerning thee, and in their hands they fhall bear thee up, left at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jefus faid unto him, It is written again, Thou fhalt thy God. not tempt the Lord

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and fheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of

them.

9 And faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if

and worship me.

thou wilt fall down

10 Then faith Jefus unto him, Get

for it is written, Thou fhalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve.

thee hence, Satan :

11 Then the de

vil leaveth him, and and miniftred untq behold, angels came him.

12 J

12 Now when

Jefus had heard that John was caft into prifon, he departed

into Galilee.

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in caperwhich is

naum,

upon the fea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it might be fulfilled which was fpoken by Efaias the Prophet, faying,

15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the fea beyond Jordan, Gallilee of the Gentiles :

16 The people which fat in dark nefs, faw great light: and to them which

fat in the region and
fhadow of death,
light is fprung up.
17 From that
time Jefus began to
preach, and to fay,
Repent, for the king-
dom of heaven is at

hand.

12. After these things, Jefus hearing that John the Baptift was caft into Prifon by Herod, retired into Galilee.

13. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, a City of great refort near the Lake of Tiberias on the Borders of Zabulon and Nephthali.

14. Where, by his gracious Prefence and Continuance among them, was remarkably fulfilled that Prophecy of Ifaiah, (Ifa. ix. 1.)

15. The dimnefs fhall be no more, But as in the time of her vexation. as at the first he made contemptible the Land of Zebulon, and the Land of Napthali: So afterwards he fhall make them* glorious; even by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

16. The People which fat in Darknefs, faw a great Light; and to them which fat in the Region and Shadow of Death, Light is fprung up.

17. From this time Jefus began his Miniftry, preaching to the People that they fhould repent and reform their Lives; for that now God was about to establish the Kingdom of the Messiah, and to make his laft difpenfation or Discovery of his Will to Mankind; wherein no external or ceremoniai Performances, but only Faith and true Repentance, and fincerely renewed Obedience, fhould be accepted to the Salvation of Sinners.

and

+. *. So Mr. Mede moft truly renders the Words 12. I have added alfo the first Words of the Verfe, which perhaps he needed not to have rejected to the foregoing Chapter.

18. Be

18. Being therefore about to enter upon his publick Preaching, he began to choose to himself certain Difciples, who fhould be Witneffes of his Miracles and of his Preaching while he lived, and should publish both his Works and Doctrine through the World after his death. And firft, as he was walking by the Lake of Genafereth, he faw two Fishermen that were Brethren, Simon, (who is alfo called Peter) and Andrew, fifhing in the Lake.

19. And he faid unto them; follow me, and I will teach you a more noble and excellent Calling. From henceforth ye fhall catch Men; that is, ye fhall gain and convert them from Sin and Mifery, to Righteoufnefs and Happiness.

20. Upon this Invitation, they prefently left their Nets, and followed him; being very willing to forfake their former Employment, to be fent upon a Work that fhould more immediately tend to the Glory of God, and to the Good of Men.

21. A little after, he faw two other Brethren, James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, in a Boat with their Father, mending their Nets; and he called them likewife.

22. And thefe alfo, without delay, followed him; quitting the Profit of their Trade, and their deareft Relations, to be employed in fo excellent and Divine a Work.

23. With thefe Men Jefus travelled over all Galilee, preaching, not only privately, but also openly in all their Places of publick Worship; teaching them his true Religion; and proving the Authority and the Goodnefs of his Doctrine, by the beneficial Miracles of

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24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all fick people that were taken with divers difeafes, and torments, and thofe which were poffeffed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palfie ; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people, from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerufalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

healing all manner of Difeafes and In-
firmities.

24. By this means his Fame prefent-
ly fpread over Syria: So that all forts
of difeafed Perfons, and Lunaticks,
and Men poffeffed with Devils, were
brought to him from all Parts; and
he healed them with a Word.

25. And a great multitude of the People followed him from all Parts of the Country; from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerufalem, and Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

CHA P. V.

Christ's Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the Beatitudes, ver.1. Chrift's Difciples to be Examples to the World, ver. 13. The Gospel fulfils and improves the Law, ver. 17. In the Cafe of Murder and Anger, ver. 21. In the Cafe of Adultery and Luft, ver. 27. In the Cafe of Divorces, ver. 31. In the Cafe of Swearing, ver. 33. In the Cafe of Revenge, ver. 38. Of loving our Enemies, ver. 43.

'A

ND feeing I.
the multitu-

des, he went up in

to a mountain and

:

when he was fet, his

Difciples came unto him.

ESUS being preffed with the
great

great multitude of People, retired
from them to the top of a Hill; and
when he was fat down, his Disciples,

and as many as were defirous to hear † Luk. vii.
his Doctrine, drew near and food about 1.
him.

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2. And he taught them in fhort the Doctrine of the Chriftian Religion, saying; 3. Blessed are thofe that are poor and humble, modeft and contented; who fet not their Hearts upon this present World, nor too eagerly feek the Riches and Splendour of it; who prefer Righteoufnefs before Wealth and Honour, and can readily defpife and contentedly part with thefe Things for the fake of Religion: Bleffed, I fay, are thefe Men; for they are fitly prepared to be Members of the true Church of God here, and fhall be rewarded with eternal happiness hereafter.

4. Bleffed are those who live not in Voluptuoufnefs, but feriously lament the Sins and Follies, and patiently endure the Hardfhips and Afflictions of this prefent Life: For they fhall be comforted with the present Peace and Joy of the Holy Ghost, and with the Happiness of the World to come.

5. Bleffed are those, who are of a meek and gentle, a quiet and harmlefs Spirit; free from Paffion and Violence, from Haughtiness and Turbulency: For fuch Men fhall generally be fecured in the quiet poffeffion of their Rights in this World by the peculiar Providence of God; or however, fhall have an Inheritance in that new Earth, (2 Pet. iii. 13.) wherein Peace and Righteousness are for ever to dwell.

6. Bleffed are thofe who earnestly defire to become truly Virtuous and Religious: For the Grace of God will never fail to direct fuch Men in the right way, and to affift them with fufficient means, to attain the Fruition of true Virtue, both in the Satisfaction of the prefent practice of it, and in the fulness of its future Reward.

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