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will be meet to impart them to you, who are Strangers and Gentiles.

28. The Woman answered: "Tis true, Lord; and I acknowledge my own Unworthiness: Yet as the Dogs are always allowed to pick up the

Crumbs which fall from the Childrens Table; fo I hope you may grant this one fmall Favour to me, who am a poor Stranger, without diminishing your Bounty to the Jews.

29. At this Answer, Jefus as it were furprized with the Woman's Faith, and vanquished by her modeft Importunity, yielded to grant her Requeft, faying, O Woman, your extraordinary Faith and Patience fhall not go unrewarded; your Daughter's Disease is removed.

30. Whereupon the Woman, believing what was faid, and joyful at her Succefs, went Home and found her Daughter perfectly well.

31. Then Jefus returning from the Coafts of Tyre and Sidon, came through the Borders of Decapolis to the Lake of Galilee.

32. And as he was in the Way, the People brought to him a Man that was both Deaf, and had also a very great Impediment in his Speech: and they defired him to lay his Hand upon him, as they had known him do upon several others, and cure him.

33. Jefus, though he could eafily have cured him with only a Word fpeaking, or laying his Hand upon him, as he had often done to others; yet chufing fometimes to reprefent the invifible Efficacy of his Power by outward Signs, he took the Man a little afide out of the Road, and put his Fingers into his Ears, and with a lit

28 And the an

fwered and faid unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under

the table eat of the childrens crumbs.

29 And he faid unto her, For this faying, go thy way, of thy daughter.

the devil is gone out

30 And when the was come to her houfe, fhe found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

31 And again departing from the Sidon, he came unto coafts of Tyre and

the fea of Galilee,

through the midst of the coafts of Decapolis.

32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his fpeech and they befecch him to put his hand upon him.

33 And he took him afide from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he fpit, and touched his tongue.

34 And

34 And looking up to heaven, he fighed, and faith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

the

35 And straightway his ears were opened, and ftring of his tongue was loofed, and he fpake plain.

36 And he charged them that they fhould tell no man: but the more he charged them, so

much the more a great deal they publifhed it.

37 And were beyond measure aftonished, faying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to Speak.

tle Spittle upon his Finger touched his Tongue.

34. Then looking up to Heaven, to how the Man from whence he ought to acknowledge that all Benefits proceed, he groaned within himfelf, and faid to the Man: All the Causes of your Infirmity are removed; Receive your Hearing, and the Power of Speech.

35. Upon which words, the Man's Hearing immediately came to him, and the Impediment in his Speech totally ceafed, and he spake from thenceforward plainly and diftinctly.

36. Then Jefus commanded those that were prefent, not to report this Thing publickly abroad: But they publifhed it, notwithstanding his Command to the contrary; and even fo much the more, because they saw that he himself was not defirous to receive the Glory of fo great a Miracle.

37. And they were astonished more than at all the things they had ever feen or heard before; And they praised Jefus greatly, faying, that he did all things for the Good and Benefit of Mankind, healing their Diseases, and relieving their Infirmities.

СНАР.

CHA P. VIII.

Jefus feedeth four Thousand with feven Loaves, ver. 1. Refufes to give the Pharifees a Sign from Heaven, ver. II. Advifes his Difciples to beware of the Hypocrifie of the Pharifees, and reproves them for not understanding an eafie Figure of Speech, ver. 14. Reftores to a blind Man his Sight, ver. 22. Asks his Difciples their own and other Mens Opinion concerning him, and foretels to them his Sufferings, ver. 27. Exhorts to Perfeverance and Patience under Afflictions and Perfecutions, ver. 34.

I.

ABOUT this Time a very great Multitude being gathered together after fefus, intent upon hearing his Doctrine, and defirous to have all their Sick cured, fo that they continued long with him in a Place where they could have nothing to eat; Jefus called to him his Difciples, and faid:"

2. I pity thefe poor People, who have followed me now thefe Three Days together in the Defarts, where

there is no manner of Suftenance or Provifion for them.

3. And if I fhould difmifs them, without giving them any Refreshment to fupport them by the Way; many of them, who are come from a great Distance, would certainly faint before they could get home.

it

4. The Difciples, not confidering Jefus's former Miracles, faid; How is It poffible for us to provide Victuals in a defart Place for fuch a vaft Number of People as this?

5. However, Jefus bad them go fee how much Bread they had with them; and they brought him word

I

1 IN those days the multitude

being very great, and having nothing to difciples unto him, eat, Jefus called his and faith unto them,

2 I have compaffion on the multi

tude, because they have now been with me three days, and

have nothing to eat.

3 And if I fend them away fafting to their own houses, they will faint by the way for divers

of them came from far.

4 And his difciples answered him, From whence can a man fatisfie these

men with bread here in the wilderneís ?

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye?

And they faid, Se

ven.

6 And he com

he

manded the people to fit down on the ground: and took the feven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his difciples to fet before them: and they did fet them before the people. 7 And they had a few fmall fishes: and he bleffed, and commanded to fet them alfo before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left, feven baskets.

9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand; and he fent them away.

10 And ftraightway he entred into a fhip with his dif

ciples, and came into the parts of Dal

manutha.

II And the Pharifees came forth, and began to queftion with him, feeking from him a fign from heaven, tempting him.

that they had only feven Loaves, which they thought could do nothing towards fatisfying fuch a Multitude.

6.But Jefus wondring that they fhould yet be fo dull and flow of Belief, bad them order the People to fit down upon the Ground. Then taking the Bread in his Hands, he gave Thanks, and brake it, and delivered it to his Difciples, and bad them diftribute it to all the People.

7. They had alfo a few small Fishes, which Jefus took in like manner, and having given Thanks, he bad his Difciples divide them alfo, and give every one of the Company a piece.

8. And thus all the People did eat, and had not only enough to fatisfie them, but, when they had done, the Difciples gathered up moreover Seven Baskets full of Scraps.

9. Yet the Number of those who were thus fed, was not lefs than Four Thousand Men. Then Jefus dismisfed them and fent them home.

10. And when the Multitude was gone, Jefus went by Boat with his Difciples over the Lake, and landed on the Coaft of Dalmanutha, or Magdala.

II. Where presently fome of the Pharifees came about him, and began to dispute with him about his Miracles; contending, fince they could not deny the Matter of Fact, that his Miracles, being all worked upon Things here below, were not fufficient Evidence of a Divine and Heavenly Power: Wherefore, if he would convince Them, and not be thought to impofe upon the Credulity of the meaner fort of People, they defired he would call for fome vifible and VOL. I, undeniable

T

undeniable Sign immediately from Heaven. And this they did, not that they defired to be informed in the Truth, and convinced of his Divine Power; but only in Hopes to find fome Occafion of accufing and reviling him.

12. Jefus therefore knowing their incurable Hypocrifie and Malice, fighed and faid: What a perverfe Generation of Men is this, that after fo many Miracles as I have worked among them, they will yet believe nothing unless they may fee a Sign from Heaven of their own chufing! No, there fhall no Sign be granted them, to fatisfie their unreafonable and perverse Curofity.

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13. And with this Answer turning away from the Pharifees, he went back to the Boat, and returned over the Lake again.

14. Now as they were going, the Difciples found that they had forgotten to furnish themfelves with Bread; having no more than one Loaf with them in the Boat.

15. About which, while they were follicitous; Jefus began to admonish them to beware of the Leaven of the Pharifees and of Herod, meaning their falfe and wicked Doctrine, which was as apt to corrupt Mens Minds and Manners, as Leaven to make Bread fowre.

16. But the Difciples, whofe Minds were taken up about their Want of Bread, hearing him mention Leaven, fancied prefently that he faid this to reprove their Negligence in forgetting to bring Bread.

12 And he fighed deeply in his fpirit, and faith, Why doth after a fign? Verily this generation feek I fay unto you, 'There fhall no fign be given to this generation.

13 And he left them, and entring into the fhip again, departed to the other fide.

14 Now the difciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the fhip with them more then one loaf.

15 And he charged them, faying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharifees, and of the leaven of Herod.

16 And they reafoned among thembecaufe we have no felves, faying, It is bread.

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