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MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. IV.

21 Jefus faith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worfhip for falvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers fhall worship the Father in fpirit and in truth : for the Father feeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit,and they that worship him, must worfhip him in fpirit and in truth.

25 The woman faith unto him, I know that Meffius cometh which is called Chrift: when he is come he will tell us all things.

26 Jefus faith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he.

upon this Mount Gerizim. Jefus faid to her, Believe me Woman, the time draws near in which Men fhall facrifice to God, neither on this Mountain, nor at Jerufalem; but as for what concerns the Diffenfion between the Jews and the Samaritans, you of Samaria worship God, yet are not acquainted with all his Commands, but we know all the Divine Laws: thus, that falutary Doctrine which inftructs us in the right worship of God, flows firft from us, a part only of which Knowledg concerning God has been deriv'd to you. But as I told you, the time draws near, nay is already begun, in which the true Worshippers of God muft worship him not with corporeal Sacrifices offer'd up in one certain place, but with a fpiritual Worship and unfeigned Devotion: for fuch are acceptable to God, and not those who only perform fome outward Rites. God is a pure Mind, and must be worship'd with the Mind principally, and a Religion without varnish, or any mixture of Hypocrify. The Woman having nothing pertinent to object to this, tho a Doctrine vaftly remote from what was commonly receiv'd among the Jews and Samaritans, told him that the knew very well that when the Meffiah came, all the differences between the Jews and the Samaritans would be compos'd, and that whatever was obfcure in the bufinefs of Religion, would be made clear by him. Jefus hereupon privately told her, He was that Meffiah, which he was not wont to own among the Jews.

Mean

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. IV.

27 And upon this came his difciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man faid, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left' her water-pot, and went her way into the city, and faith to the men,

29 Come, fee a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Chrift?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 In the mean while his difciples prayed him, faying, Master, eat.

32 But he faid unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore faid the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34 Jefus faith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that fent me, and to finish his work.

Mean while his Difciples return'd from the Town, and wonder'd to find him difcourfing with a Woman of Samaria, tho they were ignorant of the fubject of their Difcourfe, and durft not ask him what it was he had demanded of the Woman. But the return'd into the Town, and perfuaded the Inhabitants to go along with her to Jacob's Well, and fee one that had told her fuch Secrets as it was impoffible for him to have been inform'd of by any Man Is not this, faid fhe, the Meffiah fo much expected by the Samaritans and Jews?

The Inhabitants, perfuaded by these words of the Woman, accordingly came out, while the Difciples prefented Jefus with the Bread they had brought with them for their Refreshment, intreating him to eat: But he told them, he had other Bread. that pleas'd him better, which they knew not of. Upon this they queftion'd one another, whether any of them had brought him Bread privately, not knowing he had applied that word to fomething else than what is vulgarly fo call'd. Jefus perceiving their Error, told them, that the Bread his Mind was refresh'd and nourish'd with, confifted in a quick and punctual execution of his heavenly Father's Com

mands.

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHAP. IV.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harveft? behold, I fay unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harveft.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that foweth, and he that reapeth may rejoyce together.

37 And herein is that faying true, One foweth, and another reapeth.

38 I fent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour other men laboured, and ye are entred into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the faying of the woman, which teftified, He told me all that ever I did.

mands. You are wont, faid he, when you fow your Barley, to raise your hopes with this Proverbial Expreffion, 'Tis but four months between fowing and reaping: but my spiritual Harvelt approaches much fooner, and if you understood what I now difcourfe to you about, you would fay that the Corn I mean is already ripe for harvest; for the minds of many are prepar'd for the reception of my Doctrine, and great fhall his reward be who reaps the Corn I fpeak of, that is, who brings over many to a belief in me. And whereas all that you can expect from the material Fruits of the Earth is, the fuftenance of a frail and mortal Body, the fpiritual Harveft that I mention shall be attended with an everlasting Life, which will afford matter of infinite Joy both to the Sower and the Reaper. You have a common Saying among you, One has fowed, and another reaped, which is applicable to the prefent cafe: for I will fend you abroad to gather in that Corn which you have not fow'd; that is, you fhall be the Inftruments of converting many to a Faith in me, whose minds by the reading of the Prophets have been already framed for virtuous Actions, and imbued with Piety. Many of the Sichemites having heard the declaration of the Woman, made no queftion but Jefus was a Prophet, if not the

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Meffiah; and therefore defired him to continue fome time with them: Accordingly he complied with their Request,and was familiarly converfant with them for two days, contrary to the Cuftom of the Jews, who have no manner of Intercourfe with the Samaritans. Jefus in this time converted many of the Inhabitants, befides those the Woman had converted, who faid, they did now not believe for what they had heard from her, but were convinc'd from his own Mouth, that Jesus was that Meffiah, who fhould be the Saviour of all the Worshippers of the True God. Afterwards Jefus pursued his Journy into Galilee.

CHAP.

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Jefus goes into Galilee, and preaches the Gospel there fuccessfully; is ill receiv'd by his Fellow-Citizens of Nazareth. Thereupon he departs from Nazareth, and cures the Son of a certain Officer of Herod the Tetrarch, who was fick at Capernaum.

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ESUS being fill'd with the Holy Ghoft, return'd into Galilee after John had been fent to the Prifon of Macharus. His Fame in the mean time was spread about all the neighbouring places; and in every Town he went through,he inftructed the Jews in their Synagogues, and preached to them the neceffity of a Reformation and a holy Life, and a Belief of the glad Tidings he brought them of the approaching Reign of the Meffiah, if they defir'd to be partakers of the benefits of his Kingdom. This he deliver'd in the Synagogues of Galilee, where he was admir'd by almost all that heard him. Having vifited feveral Cities of that Coaft, he came at laft to Nazareth, the place where he had been educated; and according to his usual custom, he went on the Sabbath-day into the Synagogue, and stood up

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