him of his raiment, and wound- 31 And by chance there came 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came, and looked on bin, and paffed by on the other fide. 33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journied, came where he was and when he saw him, he had compaffion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and fet him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out twopence, and gave them to the hoft, and faid unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou fpendeft more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkeft thou, was neighbour to him that fell among the thieves?. JOHN. who not only ftript him, but left him on the road half dead with the Wounds they had given him. It happen'd that a Prieft came by that way, and after him a Levite, who both faw the poor man in that condition, but gave him no affiftance, and purfued their journy. A Samaritan that paffed by not long after, faw him alfo, and had compaffion on him; and going to him, dreffed his Wounds with Oil and Wine, and carefully bound them up: Then fetting him on the Beast on which he himfelf rode, he convey'd him to the next Inn, where he continued to apply every thing neceffary for his recovery. The next day, being obliged. to continue his journy, befides the charges he had bin at the day before, he left Mony in the Innkeeper's hands to compleat the Cure, with a promife that if that were not fufficient, at his return he would defray the whole coft, ordering him withal to take care of him, and fee that he wanted nothing. Having told this ftory, Jefus ask'd the Lawyer which of the three Travellers, the Prieft, the Levite, or the Samaritan, might be thought the man's Neighbor that was ftript and wounded by the Thieves? The 37 And he faid, He that fhewed mercy on him. Then faid Jefus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entred into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house. 39 And she had fifter called Mary, which alfo fat at Jefus feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbred about much ferving, and came to him, and faid, Lord, doft thou not care that my fifter hath left me to ferve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jefus anfwered, and faid unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful. JOHN. The Lawyer anfwer'd, that he was to be esteem'd his Neighbor who perform'd the offices of Humanity to him. Then faid Jefus, Go thy ways, and imitate him whose action thou hast commended. In which words he reprefented to his hearers that they were to account all men their Neighbors, as fuch to whom they were link'd by the common ty of human Nature, and that there ought to be a mutual intercourse of the offices of Humanity between men, of what Nation or Religion foever they were, and not only among the Jews; a Doctrine very different from what they vulgarly taught, and yet the Lawyer had no reafon to be offended at it, fince he could not fay that it was unlawful for a few to do that to a Samaritan, which he himself had acknowledged was praiseworthy from a Samaritan to a Jew. Jefus being now upon his return to Galilee, paffed thro Bethany, a Village but two miles diftant from Jerufalem, where liv'd Martha and Mary two religious Women, together with their Brother Lazarus. Jefus being known to them, was receiv'd and entertain'd in their Houfe, in which as foon as he entred, he fat down, and according to his cuftom began to preach to them. Mary was fo delighted with his Doctrin, that laying all other bufinefs afide, fhe fat down at his feet, diligently liftning to him: Now Martha, who was in the mean time bufied in providing things neceffary for the reception of her Guefts, feeing Mary fit idly by him, defir'd him to command her to aflift her. Jefus anfwer'd, Martha, thou art difturb'd with much care about thy worldly concerns, whereas one thing only is neceffary, viz. the: Knowledg of my Doctrin, which will inftruct thee.in the way to obtain eternal Happiness.. MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. СНА Р. Х. And Mary hath chosen that good CHA P. XI. AND it came to pafs, that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his difciples faid unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John alfo taught his disciples. 2 And he faid unto them, When ye pray, fay, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our fins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 5 And he faid unto them, Which of you fhall have a friend, and fhall go unto him at midnight, and fay unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journy is come to me, and I have nothing to fet before him: JOHN. Happiness. Thy Sifter Mary, who has made this her great bufinefs, has chofen that part which fhall be attended with an everlasting Reward; whereas the fruit of all other things is perifhing, and of fhort continuance. Jefus being gone from hence, one day after he had ended his privat Devotions, one of his Difciples who was not prefent when he gave that form of Prayer to them, which we have related chap. 22. thus addreft himself to him: Mafter, John the Baptift inftructed his Followers after what manner it became them to offer their Supplications to God; do thou alfo teach us fome Form of Prayer. Jefus therefore repeated it to them, and upon this occafion added feveral Reflections on the neceffity and efficacy of Prayer. If a Friend, faid he, come to any of you at midnight, intreating you to lend him three Loaves, that he may have werewith to 7 And he from within shall answer and fay, Trouble me not: the door is now fhut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rife and give thee. 8 I fay unto you, Though he will not rife and give him, becaufe he is his friend; yet becaufe of his importunity, he will rife and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I fay unto you, Ask, and it fhall be given you: feek, and ye fhall find: knock, and it fhall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh, receiveth and he that feeketh, findeth and to him that knocketh, it fhall be opened. Ir If a fon fhall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fifh, will he for a fish give him a ferpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a fcorpion? JOHN. to entertain an unlook'd for Gueft; 'tis likely you will tell him he comes at an unfeafonable hour, that the Doors are all made faft, and you and all your Family in >> bed; nevertheless if he continues his fuit to you, tho he could not obtain that kindnefs on the score of Friendship, yet he will at last prevail by his importunity, and thus extort from you as many Loaves as he wants. So alfo in your Petitions to God you ought not to defpond because your Prayers are not heard immediatly, but continue conftant and perfevering in that Duty. Whatever you ftand in need of to carry you thro your holy courfe of Life, pray to God for it, and you fhall not fail of his affiftance. Knock, as I may fay, at the Gate that huts you out from what is convenient for you to poffefs, and it thall be opened to you for whoever asks as becomes him, fhall have his Requests granted; and whoever with an unfeigned zeal for Truth fearches after fomething neceffary, for him, fhall furely find it, and whoever knocks as he ought against the door that is between him and what he is in queft of, fhall have it open'd to him. Do not diftruft the Good-will of God towards you, when you pour out your Petitions to him: for who among you, if a Son asks for a Loaf of Bread, or a Fish, will in lieu of them give him a Stone or a Serpent; or instead of an Egg put CHAP. XI. 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him? 14 And he was cafting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake: and the people wondred. 15 But fome of them faid, He caftech out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. 16 And other tempting him, fought of him a fign from heaven. 17 But he knowing their thoughts, faid unto them, Every kingdom divided against it felf, is brought to defolation: and á houfe divided against a house, falleth. 18 If Satan alfo be divided against himself, how shall his JOHN. put a Scorpion into his hand? If you then, who are defiled with fo many Vices, are wont to give things profitable to your Children, and to remove whatever may be hurtful to them, how much rather will your heavenly Father bestow upon those that ask it of him, that moft happy difpofition of mind which will incite them to the practice of every Virtue? Jefus having thus exprefs'd himself on this fubject, there was brought to him one poffeffed with an evil Spirit, which had depriv'd him of his Speech. Jesus commanded the Damon to go out of him, who immediatly obey'd, and the man recover'd the perfect ufe of his Speech, to the great aftonishment of the Spectators, who knew how difficult it was to dislodg thefe evil Spirits. But fome were fo inveterat against him, as to attribute this miraculous Power, not to the divine Affiftance, but to Beelzebub chief of thofe evil Spirits. Others demanded a Miracle of him, not out of any zeal for the knowledg of the truth, but only to try what he would do, and upon occafion to make use of it against him. But Jefus, who was not unacquainted with their most hidden Designs, defended himself against the Calumny of the former in the fame manner he did against a like accufation, as we have already deliver'd, by reprefenting to them, that every State and Family divided into feveral Parties and Factions, was in a fair way to be ruin'd: So, faid he, if the Empire of the evil Spirits be diftracted by inward Diffen |