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And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befel to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear. And he went up into the ship, and returned back again. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but sent him away, saying unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis, and published throughout the whole city, how great things Jesus had done for him; and all men did marvel.

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And Levi* made him a great feast in his own house and it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, behold, there was a great company of Publicans and of others, and sinners came, that sat down also, together with Jesus and his disciples for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with Publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that your Master eateth and drinketh with Publican's and sinners? and why do ye eat with Publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, answering He said unto them, They that are

That is, Matthew, the Evangelist.

PARABLE OF THE NEW WINE.

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whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. But go ye, and learn what that meaneth,

I will have mercy, and not sacrifice *: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast often, and make prayers; but thine eat and drink, and fast not? And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bride-chamber fast and mourn while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

And he spake also a parable unto them: No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.+ But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are

* Our Lord again repeats this admonition, from the 6th chap. of the Prophet Hosea, as before, when the Pharisees censured His disciples for plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath day. It is to warn us, that the spirit of true religion consists in piety to God and love to man; that God prefers a moral sacrifice to duty far above the observance of any merely positive institution or ritual form; that religion is to fill the heart and exercise a practical influence over the affections, and not to be a mere round of mechanical observances.

+ Wine-bottles, in the East, were leathern bags, made of sheep or goat skins. The old and new, here thrice repeated, relate to the former and the latter dispensations of true religion; namely, the Jewish and the Christian,

preserved. No man also having drunk old wine, straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.

And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, he came into his own city; and the people gladly received him, and much people gathered unto him, for they were all waiting for him, and he was nigh unto the sea. And while he spake these things unto them, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name ; and when he saw him, he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him, and worshipped him, and besought him greatly, that he would come into his house saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a-dying. And Jesus arose, and went with him; and so did his disciples. But as he went, much people followed him, and thronged him. And, behold, a certain woman, which was diseased, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment; for she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And immediately her issue of blood stanched. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and

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said, Who touched my clothes? And when all denied, Peter and his disciples said unto him, Master, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and pressing thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman, when she saw that she was not hid, came fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, and fell down before him, and told him all the truth; she declared unto him, before all the people, for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And when he saw her, he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. And the woman was made whole from that hour. While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any farther? But as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he answered and said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. Fear not-and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? Give place: Weep not; for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn; knowing that she was dead.

But when he had put them all

out, he taketh the father and mother of the maiden, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and called, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And her spirit came again: and straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years: and he commanded that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were astonished; they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them straitly, that no man should know it; that they should tell no man what was done. And the fame thereof went abroad into all that land.

Then

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened ; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

As they went out, behold, they brought to him a And when the dumb man possessed with a devil. devil was cast out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

And he went out from thence, and came into his And own country; and his disciples follow him. when he was come into his own country, when the

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