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MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. II.

whence it was, but the fervants which drew the water knew) the governor of the feaft called the bridegroom,

Io And faith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth fet forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou haft kept the good wine until now.

II This beginning of miracles did Jefus in Cana of Galilee, and manifefted forth his glory; and his difciples believed on him.

12 After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his difciples; and they continued there not many days.

knowing from whence they had it, (for the Servants did not tell him they drew it out of the Water-pots) went to the Bridegroom, telling him 'twas the ufual Custom to prefent the Guests with the best Wine firft, and to give 'em the worst when by long drinking they had made themselves unable to diftinguish; but that he on the contrary had prepofteroufly kept the very beft Wine till the latter end of the Feast.

This beginning of Miracles was perform'd by Jefus at Cana; from whence his Difciples concluded he was fent by God, and thereupon believ'd on him, not as a common Teacher, but a Prophet. Jefus with his Mother, his Relations, and Difciples, went from Cana to Capernaum, a Town fituated near the Lake of Genefareth, but at that time ftaid only a few days in the Town.

CHAP

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Jefus goes to Jerufalem to celebrate the Paffover.

He drives the Traders out of the Temple, and reproves them who dislike the action. He foretels his own Refurrection. Many believe on him, but he does not trust himSelf among the Jews. His Conference with Nicodemus.

THE foregoing transactions happen'd in the month of March, towards the latter end of the fixteenth year of Tiberius, reckoning from the beginning of his Proconfular Authority; for the Paffover was approaching, which that year, according to the Cycle the Jews make ufe of, fell upon the twenty ninth of March. The Paffover being near, Fefus went to Jerufalem. Being come thither, he went into the Temple, where he faw thofe who had brought Beafts for the Sacrifices, and the Money-changers, felling their Commodities, and trafficking in the outward Court of the Temple, a place confecrated folely to Divine Worfhip. Fill'd with Indignation, hereupon, he made a Whip of littie Cords, and with ftripes drove 'em out of the Temple, overturn'd the Tables of the Money-changers and their monies; the fellers of Doves alfo he commanded to depart with their Goods, bidding 'em all

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hence; make not my Fathers houfe an houfe of merchandife.

17 And his difciples remembred that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

18 Then answered the Jews, and faid unto him, What fign fheweft thou unto us, feeing that thou doeft these things?

19 Jefus answered and faid unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raife it up.

20 Then faid the Jews, Forty and fix years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

22 When therefore he was rifen from the dead, his disciples remembred that he had faid this unto them: and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jefus had said.

take it as a warning for the future, not to turn the Temple of his Father into a booth for Merchandize. Which things when his Difciples faw, they call'd to mind that Paffage of the Pfalmift, which is much more aptly applied to Jefus than to him, Pfal. 69. 9. The Zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. But the other Jews who were then in the Temple, contended that this Fact could not be warranted but by a prophetical Authority, which Authority they faid they would then believe him to have receiv'd from God, when they had feen him perform fome Miracle. But Jefus told them they fhould receive this Miracle from him; namely, after this Temple fhall be demolish'd, I will raise it again in three days.

The Jews replied, they could not conceive how it was poffible for him to raife the Temple in three days, which was fix and forty years a building, from the time that Herod the Great undertook that work. But Jesus fpoke concerning the Temple of his Body; which his Difciples (remembring this faying of his) understood after he was rifen from the Dead: by which Refurrection they were confirm'd in their belief of all that had been predicted concerning the Meffiah, and the promifes of their Master, fo remarkable a part of which they faw hereby, accomplish'd,

Many

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. II.

23 Now when he was in Jerufalem at the paffover, in the feaft-day, many believed in his name, when they faw the miracles which he did.

24 But Jefus did not commit himself unto them,because he knew all men,

25 And needed not that any thould teftify of man: for he knew what was in man.

CHA P. III.

Here was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The fame came to Jefus by night, and faid unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him.

3 Jefus answered and faid unto him, Verily verily I fay unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God.

Many were converted by the Miracles he did at Ferufalem during the Feaft of un leavened Bread. But Jefus did not trust himself among the Jews, nor discover himself to them, as knowing that their Faith was too wavering to be relied upon; nor did he ftand in need of any outward information concerning 'em, being able of himself to penetrate into the moft hidden fecrets of the Heart.

There was at that time in Jerufalem one Nicodemus, of the Sect of the Pharifees, a member of the great Sanhedrim, who being a pious Perfon, and having heard of the Miracles wrought by Jefus, came by night to him, and thus accofted him (not daring to converfe with him openly and in the day time, for fear of his Collegues, whofe pride and contumacy he was well acquainted with): Mafter, I make no doubt but thou art fent by God unto us'; for no man is able to do thofe Miracles thou doft, without having receiv'd his power from God. Having premis'd this, he was about to ask Jefus what it behoved him to do to become partaker of the felicity of the Kingdom of God, which he heard was near at hand. But Jefus knowing his intention prevented him, interrupting him with thefe words: No man can be partaker of the good things of the Kingdom of God, unless he be born anew. Nicodemus,

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MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

СНА Р. ІИ.

4 Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born?

5 Jefus answered, Verily verily I fay unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit.

7 Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou hearest the found thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: fo is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus, not understanding this figurative expreffion of Jefus, childishly demanded of him how it was poffible for an old man to be born again? must he return into his Mother's Womb, and from thence fpring forth into Life again? Whereas JeJus meant that change of Manners and Opinions which might make men feem as it were to be regenerated. Jefus in anfwer to him, told him that those who should indeed be made partakers of Celestial Happiness in the Kingdom of God, might be faid after the Jewish manner to be born again, not only by reafon of their Baptifm, but alfo in refpect of their minds, inafmuch as they might feem to become new men by a perfect alteration in their Opinions and Morals.

For thofe who are faid to be born again by reafon of fome corporeal Rite, undergoing only a corporeal Change, are not at all better'd by it, but they whofe minds are fo chang'd as to think and act aright, may properly be faid to be fpiritual or new men, and are thereby enabled to become members of the Kingdom of Heaven. Nor ought his having faid that men must be born again after this Spiritual manner, feem ftrange unto him, or be doubted by him; it being no Objection to the truth of it, that this change is not actually vifible to our Eyes, and that the manner how it is effected is not commonly known unto us: for even in corporeal things, fome there are of whofe Existence we make no queftion, which yet are invifible to us, and of which we are ignorant in many particulars; the Wind for inftance, whofe Rife and End are both alike unknown to us. Thus may men be truly faid to be renew'd in their minds, tho this fpiritual Regeneration be not visible to our Eyes, and the method of the Operation be unknown to us.

Nicodemus

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