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up, and began to speak. * And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they

glorified God, saying,

That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about. And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he, calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art Thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in the same hour he cured many of their infirmities, and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John

what things ye have seen and heard ;

How that the blind receive their sight,

the lame walk,

The lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear,
The dead are raised up,

And the poor have the Gospel preached to them.† And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

*In the East, it is usual to carry bodies to the grave upon an open bier, and not in a coffin. The burial-places, also, are outside of the towns.

There was no sort of ambiguity in this answer of our Lord, because these miracles, being an exact fulfilment of prophecies respecting the promised Messiah, would prove to John that this was He that should come; the Saviour of the world.

HIS TESTIMONY TO THE BAPTIST.

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And when the messengers of John were departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in king's courts. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet: For

This is he, of whom it is written,

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Which shall prepare thy way before thee.

For verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater prophet than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets

and the law prophesied until John:

And if ye will receive it,

This is Elias, which was for to come.

*

And all the people that heard him, and the Publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. But, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they

* As John was the precursor of the new and spiritual dispensation, so he came in the spirit and power, not in the bodily form, of Elias.

like? They are like unto children sitting in the market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold & gluttonous man, and a wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father for so it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

HIS INVITATION TO ALL.

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Come unto me,

all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
For I am meek and lowly in heart:

And ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.*

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. † Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?

:

* We are to come in fervent prayer through perfect faith, and the grace of Christ, and the love of God, and the anticipated fellowship of the Holy Ghost, in the heaven we hope for, will make the solemn requirements of Christianity easy and light.

It is worth observing, that there is no scripture authority for sup posing this penitent sinner to have been Mary of Magdala, nor for the still more common supposition that the Magdalene had been a harlot.

I en

Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? tered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath

anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves,

Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

And He said unto the woman,
Thy faith hath saved thee; go

in peace.

And it came to pass, afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

And they went into a house. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb and He

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