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sistent with my heavenly extraction; for while you believe your teachers, who have so shamefully corrupted the oracles of Omnipotence, and filled your minds with the vain expectations of a temporal kingdom, you cannot believe ou me. No man can believe on the Son of God, unless he be persuaded by the Father. You need not be surprised at this; for however ye imagine that all men, at the appearance of the Messiah will flock to him with great cheerfulness, and become the willing subjects of his kingdom, without any extraordinary means of persuasion, the prophets plainly foretel the contrary: for they promise that men shall enjoy the teaching of the Father, in a far more eminent manner, during the Messiah's kingdom, than under any preceding dispensation; consequently persuasion too, is necessary. You are not to understand that by being taught of God, you are to see with your bodily eyes the invisible Jehovah, because that privilege is confined to the Son alone; but that you are to be taught by the Spirit of God, whatever is requisite for your eternal interest in and by me, who am the way, the truth, and the life.

Having thus asserted the dignity of his mission, and demonstrated that it really belonged to him, the blessed Jesus examined the comparison between himself, considered as the bread from heaven, and the manua which Moses provided for their fathers in the howling wilderness. The manna, said he, which your fathers eat in the desert, could not preserve them from temporal death: but the bread which came down from heaven will render men immortal. "I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John vi. 51.

Though the divine Teacher, on this occasion, made use of no other expressions than what the Jews had been accustomed to interpret in a figurative sense; yet so

great was their perverseness, that they considered them as spoken literally, and were astonished beyond measure at what he could mean, by saying he would give them "his Alesh to eat." Jesus, however, knowing how unreasonable his hearers were, did not think proper to explain himself more particularly at this time. But persisting in the same figurative manner of expression, he repeated and affirmed more earnestly what he had before asserted. Except, said he, ye be entirely united to me by a hearty practice and belief of my doctrine, partake of the merit of that sacrifice which I shall offer for the sins of the world, continue in the communion of my religion, and receive spiritual nourishment, by the continual participation of those means of grace which I shall purchase for you by my death, ye can never enter the happy mansions of eternity. "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." John vi. 54, 55.

This is the bread which came down from heaven; a kind of bread infinitely superior to that of manna, both in its nature and efficacy. It is different in its nature from manna, because it is not to be eaten, as your fathers did that food in the wilderness; they "eat manna and are dead." It is different in its effect, because he that "eateth of this bread shall live for ever."

These particulars Jesus spake in the hearing of all the people, who attended the public worship in the synagogue of Capernaum; and though most of the metaphors were very easy to be understood, yet they could not comprehend what he meant, by "eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; a thing not only prohibited by the law of Moses, but also repugnant to the customs of civilized nations."

Many, therefore, who had followed him, considered it as inconsistent, and absolutely

absurd. But Jesus answered, Are you offended, because I told you my flesh is bread; that it came down from heaven; and that you must in order to have eternal life, eat my flesh, and drink my blood? But what if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up bodily into heaven; from whence he was sent by his heavenly Father? You will then surely be persuaded that I really came from heaven; and at the same time be convinced that you cannot eat my flesh in a corporal man

ner.

I never meant that you should understand the expression literally; my flesh in that case, would be of no advantage to the children of men. The metaphor was only used to vindicate that you must believe in the doctrines which I preach; for the revealing of which, I was sent into the world by my heavenly Father, in form like one of you.

My doctrine may, perhaps, be ineffectual to some of you, because ye are desirous of perverting it, and from thence to form a pretence for forsaking me. I well know the secret recesses of every heart; and therefore told you, that no man can believe on me, except it was given him of my Father.

The self-sufficient, self-righteous Jews were so offended at this discourse, that many of them, who had hitherto been our Saviour's disciples, went out of the synagogue and never more came to hear him. They found that all their pleasing views of worldly grandeur,and an extensive kingdom could have nothing more than an ideal foundation, if they acknowledged Jesus to be the Messiah. But as they were unwilling to abandon all their favourite hopes of power, they refused to own him for the great Redeemer of Israel they had so long expected.

When the Jews were departed, Jesus turned himself to his disciples, and with a look of ineffable sweetness, said to them, "Will ye also go away?" To this Peter No. 6.

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they might accuse him: and at length ventured to attack him for permitting his disciples to eat with unwashed hands, because, in so doing, they transgressed the tradition of the elders.

Moses had, indeed, required external cleanness as a part of their religion; but it was only to signify how careful the servants of the Almighty should be to purify themselves from all uncleanness both of flesh and spirit. These ceremonial institutions were, in process of time, prodigiously multiplied, and the pharisees who pretended to observe every tittle of the law, considered it as a notorious offence to eat bread with unwashed hands, though at the same time, they suffered the more weighty precepts of the law to be neglected and forgotten.

To expose the absurdity of such superstitious customs, our Saviour applied to them the word of the prophet Isaiah, "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Adding, that all their worship was vain, and displeasing to the Almighty, while they praised themselves, and imposed upon others the frivolous precepts of man's invention, and at the same time neglected the eternal rules of righteousness: and to remove all objections that might be brought against this imputation of gross profaneness in the pharisees, he supported it by a very remarkable instance.

God, said the Saviour of the world, hath commanded children to honour their parents and to maintain them, when reduced to poverty by siekness, age, or misfortunes, promising life to such as obey this precept, and threatening death to those who disregard it. But notwithstanding the peremptory commandment of Omnipotence, you teach, that it is a more sacred duty to enrich the temple, than to nourish their parents reduced to the utmost necessity, pretending that what is offered to the great Parent of the Universe is much better bestowed, than what is given to the support of our earthly

parents; making the interest of God absolutely different from that of his creatures. Nay, ye teach, that it is no breach of the commandment for a man to suffer his parents to perish, provided he has given, what ought to nourish them, to the temple of Jerusalem. Thus have you concealed, under the cloak of piety, the most horrid, the most unnatural crime any person can commit.

Having thus reproved the pharisees, he called the multitude to him, and desired them to reflect on the absurdity of the precepts inculcated by the scribes. These hypocrites, said he, solicitous about trifles, neglect the great duties of morality, which are of eternal obligation. They shudder with horror at unwashed hands, but are perfectly easy under the guilt of a polluted conscience, though they must be sensible that "not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” Matt. xv. 11.

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The haughty pharisees were highly offended at his speaking in a degrading manner of their traditions. And the apostles, who would gladly have reconciled their Master and the pharisees, insinuated to Jesus, that he ought to have acted in another manner. To which our Saviour answered, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." Matt. xv. 13. As if he had said you have not cause to fear their anger, as both they and their doctrine shall perish together, for neither of them came from God. Adding," Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Matt. xv. 14.

His disciples, not fully comprehending this doctrine, desired their Master to explain it. This our Saviour complied with, and shewed them that meats, being of a corporal nature, could not defile the mind of man, or render him polluted in the sight of the Almighty, unless they are used to excess, or in opposition to the commandment

of God; and even then the pollution arose from the man, and not from the meat. But, on the contrary, that which proceeded out of the mouth of a man comes from his heart, and really polluteth his mind.

These doctrines of truth could not fail of irritating the pharisees, as they tended to strip them of the mask with which they concealed their deformity, and render themselves so venerable in the eyes of the vulgar; and therefore their plots were levelled against his reputation and life.

Jesus, to avoid their malice, retired to the very borders of Palestine, to the coasts of those two celebrated Gentile cities, Tyre and Sidon, proposing there to conceal himself for a time; but he could not be hid.It was impossible for the divine "Son of righteousness" to be concealed where he came with his healing wings, and message of peace, as it is for the sun in the firmament, when he riseth in all his glory" as a bridegroom cometh out of his chamber, and as a giant rejoiceth to run his course." For a certain woman of Canaan having heard of him, determined to implore his assistance. She was, indeed, one of the most abject sort of Gentiles, a Canaanite, one of that detested race with which the Jews would have no dealing, nor even conversation; but notwithstanding all these discouraging circumstances, she threw her. self as an humble petitioner, on the benevolent mercies of the Son of God. Strong necessity urged her on; grief and insuperable distress caused her to be importunate. Alas! unhappy parent! her only daughter, her beloved child had an unclean spirit, was grievously vexed with a devil."

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When her case was so urgent, and her woes so poignant, who can wonder that she was so importunate, and would take no refusal from this divine Person; whom, she knew, was able to deliver her! Accordingly she came; she fell at his feet, she besought him,she cried,saying, "Have mercy

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We, however, find he answered this woman not a word: he did not, in appearance, take the least notice, either of her or her distresses. But this silence did not intimidate her she cried, she still besought, she still importunately pressed her petition; so that the very disciples were moved with her eries, and became her advocates. They themselves, though Jews, besought their Master to dismiss this petitioner, to grant her request, and to send her away.

But Jesus soon silenced them, by an answer agreeable to their own prejudices. "I am not sent (said he) but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." To this the disciples readily assented; and as they had a high opinion of the Jews' prerogative, were so well satisfied with the answer, that we hear them pleading no more for this lost, this miserable Gentile.

But this soothed not her griefs; it was her own cause, and what is immediately our own concern animates us to the most zealous application. Somewhat encouraged that she was the subject of discourse between our Lord and his disciples, she venturned to approach the Saviour of the world,

though she well knew that the law actually forbade such an intercourse; yet she came, she worshipped this Son of David," she confessed again his divinity, and prayed, saying, "Lord help me."

The compassionate Saviour now condescended to speak to her, but with words seemingly sufficient to have discouraged every farther attempt; nay, to have filled her with bitter dislike to his person, though she had conceived such high and noble notions of his mercy and favour: "It is not meet (said he) to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs." Matt. XV. 26. It is not justice to deprive the Jews, who are the children of the covenant, the descendants of Abraham, of any part of those blessings which I came into the world to bestow, especially to you, who are aliens and strangers from the commonwealth of Irael.

This answer, though severe, could not shake her humility, nor overcome her patience; she meekly answered, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Matt. xv. 27. Let me enjoy that kindness which the dogs of any family are not denied; from the plenty of miraculous cures, which thou bestowed on the Jews, drop this one to me who am a poor distressed heathen: for they will suffer no greater loss by it, than the children from a family do by the crumbs which are cast to the dogs.

Our Lord having put the woman's faith to a very severe trial, and being convinced that she possessed a just notion of his power and goodness, as well as of her own unworthiness, wrought, with pleasure, the cure she solicited in behalf of her daughter; and at the same time, gave her faith the praises it so justly deserved. "Oh! woman, great "Oh! woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." Matt. xv. 28.

After performing this miracle, Jesus returned to the sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis. In this country, a man was brought to him who was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech. Objects in distress were always treated with benevo lence by the holy Jesus; but as the people now thronged about him, in expectation that he would soon establish his kingdom, he thought proper to take the man, with his relations, aside from the multitude; after which he put his fingers in his ears, and touched his tongue, that the deaf man, who could not be instructed by language, might know from whence all his benefits flowed. He then "looked up to heaven, and sighed, and said unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man." Mark vii. 34, 35, 36.

But notwithstanding they were enjoined to secrecy, the man, or his relations, published it in every part of the country, doubtless thinking they could not be too lavish in the praises of so great a Benefactor: especially as the modesty with which he had performed the cure abundantly demonstrated that his sole view was the benefit of the

human race.

round him in Decapolis; for the fame of This rumour gathered the multitude his miracles was extended to every corner of the country. He, therefore, to avoid the prodigious crowds of people, retired into a desart mountain, near the sea of Galilee. But the solitary retreats of the wilderness were unable to conceal the beneficent Saviour of mankind. They soon discovered his retreat, and brought to him from all quarters the sick, the lame, the dumb, the

blind, and the maimed. The sight of so compassion of the Son of God, that he gramany objects in distress, so excited the ciously released them from all their com plaints. Miracles like these could not fail of astonishing the spectators, especially

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