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PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 85

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

PRAYER.

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire, or deserve; pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

Questions on Section VIII.

In what respect was the prophet Jonas a type of Christ? Whom does our Lord pronounce blessed?

Whom does he declare to be his brethren?

Recount the parable of the sower.

Why did our Lord use parables in teaching?

What is the interpretation of the parable of the sower? Recount the parable of the tares, and the interpretation. What is, generally, the Scriptural meaning of the phrase Kingdom of heaven?

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In what respect does our Lord liken the increase of true religion to the growth of a grain of mustard seed? Why does He liken it to leaven?

Why to treasure hid in a field?

Why to the pearl of great price?

Recount the parable of the net full of all sorts of fishes, and the interpretation.

THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

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SECTION IX.

From the Miracle of calming the Tempest, to the Return of Christ to Nazareth.

PRAYER.

O God, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; we humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which be profitable for us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, it came to pass the same day, when the even was come, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he gave commandment to depart; and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him,

The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests;

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But the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
And another of his disciples said unto him,
Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him,

Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And when they had sent away the multitude, they launched forth. But as they sailed

he fell asleep: And behold, there arose a great storm of wind, and a great tempest in the sea, and the waves beat into the ship, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?

Peace,

Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and the raging of the water; and said unto the sea, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? But the men marvelled, and they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this? for he commandeth even the winds and the water, and they obey him: even the winds and the sea obey him.

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes; which is over against Galilee. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the city, a certain man, possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, which had devils a long time, and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and

HEALS A DEMONIAC CALLED LEGION. 89

cutting himself with stones; exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And behold, when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran, and fell down before him, and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? I beseech thee, I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For he said unto

him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. (Because many devils were entered into him.) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country; that he would not command them to go out into the deep. Now there was there a good way off from them, nigh unto the mountains, a great herd of swine, feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave, and said unto them, Go. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea (they were about two thousand); and were choked in the sea; and perished in the waters. And they

that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city and in the country; and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and to see what it was that was done.

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