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and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

Do not we know the birth and breeding of this man? Is he not the son of Joseph, the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary? Are not his cousins and near kinsmen, James and Joses, men well known of us? Are not his kinswomen here amongst us? Whence is it, that, having not been trained up in the Schools, he should come by this marvellous wisdom and knowledge; and whence are these his miraculous works?

XIV. 22. And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

Jesus laid a vehement charge and command upon his disciples, who were otherwise unwilling to have left him, that they should take ship, and go before him to the other side of the lake.

XIV. 25. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

In the last quarter of the night, which was the morning watch, when they had been long tossed in the sea with contrary winds, Jesus came unto them, walking on the sea.

XIV. 29. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. Lord, since it is thou, I am so confident of thy power, that if thou shalt but bid me, I dare venture to set my foot upon the waves, and walk to thee.

XIV. 30. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

But when he found that the wind was strong and boisterous, and the billows rough, he was afraid; and now, as his faith bore him up before, so his fear made him begin to sink, &c.

XV. 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Thou knowest that we have a tradition from our late elders, though no law of God for it, that, for the fear of many incident pollutions, we should, both before and in our meals, wash often: why do thy disciples violate and neglect this good order, set by our wise elders in their repast?

XV. 3. But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

But he answered and said unto them; Ye are apt to take exceptions at my disciples for transgressing the traditions of men, but, in the mean time, ye yourselves make no conscience of transgressing the commandments of God, by these your vain and ill grounded traditions.

XV. 5, 6. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or

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his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.

But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, Content yourselves, my parents: I have vowed and consecrated unto God that part of my substance, which might have been beneficial and helpful unto you; and now I may not alienate or revoke it: And, thereupon, give no aid or assistance to his father or mother, he is free from this bond, wherein he is tied by the law, both of God and nature.

XV. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

In vain do they worship me, while, instead of my holy laws, which only are able to bind the conscience, they obtrude upon men the devices of their own brains; and require the strict observation thereof, with the neglect of God's precepts.

XV. 11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a

man.

The Scribes and Pharisees have found fault with my disciples, for eating with unwashen hands; but know ye, that the soul of a man is not polluted with that, which he puts into his mouth the creatures of God are in their nature good, and these outward foulnesses of the hand have no moral guilt in them; but those things, which defile a man, are the wickednesses that come forth from an unclean heart, and so break forth into the expressions of the mouth and hand. See verses 17, 18, 19.

XV. 23. Send her away; for she crieth after us.

Master, thou art not wont to repel importunate suitors: be pleased to grant her request; for she crieth after us.

XV. 24. But to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. See chapter x. verse 6.

XV. 26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

The Jews are the select family of God, and the children of the house; the Gentiles are but as dogs, despised and hated, as those that are without God in the world: it is not meet, to communicate those favours and blessings, which I have intended to the children of my Church, to these contemptible aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.

XV. 27. Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

O Saviour, I do not expostulate with thee for this so hard appellation: I do meekly yield myself such as thou hast termed me; but, if I be a dog, give me at least the common privilege of this despised creature. I require not a whole morsel; I desire but a crumb of thy favour: the dogs are

allowed to lick the crumbs that fall from their masters' table; vouchsafe me but this small offal of thy mercy, and it shall be enough.

XVI. 3. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

O ye hypocrites, can ye prognosticate fair or foul weather by the face of the sky, which is more difficult and uncertain; and can ye not, by those clear predictions of the prophets and the miraculous demonstrations of my power, discern the time of my coming into the world?

XVI. 6. The leaven of the Pharisees.

The sour and faulty doctrine, the vicious and distasteful glosses, of the Pharisees. See verses 11, 12.

XVI. 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Blessed art thou Simon, the son of Joanna, who hast thus believed with thy heart, and thus confessed with thy mouth: for it is not from any power of nature, that thou couldst have conceived thus of me; it is my Father, which is in Heaven, who, by his Holy Spirit, hath wrought this faith in thee.

XVI. 18. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I say unto thee, That it was not for nothing, that I have heretofore given thee the name of Peter, which signifies a Stone; for thou hast herein approved thyself a living stone in that foundation of my Prophets and Apostles, whereof I myself am both the chief Corner Stone and also the firm Rock, by thee confessed, on which that foundation of my Church is so surely laid, as that the powers of hell shall never be able to prevail against it.

XVI. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt, bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

And I will give unto thee, as my prime Apostle, and to the rest of thy fellows, in whose name thou hast made this gracious confession, and to their lawful successors, the keys of the kingdom of heaven: so as, by their censures and doctrine, they shall either open the gates thereof to the faithful and penitent, or shut them upon the impenitent, disobedient, unbelievers : and, what sentence they shall herein pass in a right and wellgrounded proceeding, shall be accordingly ratified in heaven; whether it be to bind over men to condemnation, or to acquit them of their sins to their justification and salvation.

XVI. 22. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him,

saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Then Peter took him aside, and began to expostulate with him, saying, Lord, have not I confessed, and thou hast approved it, that thou art the Son of the Living God? how is it then, that thou talkest of suffering and dying? These things cannot agree: do not bode so ill things to thyself; rather thou shalt live and reign, and make all us great and happy.

XVI. 23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

But he turned to Peter, and said, When thou saidst well, I gave thee a title of love and honour; but now, when thou speakest thus carnally, I cannot but give thee thine own: It is Satan, that suggests this lewd counsel to thee, and thou sufferest thy tongue to be misguided by that tempter; since therefore thou playest his part, I shall justly call thee by his name: Get thee behind me, Satan; for these motions of thine argue a mind that is fleshly and sensual, and not holy and rightly informed in and disposed to the things of God; who, by my sufferings and death, hath graciously purposed the redemption of mankind.

XVI. 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

If any man will profess to be my disciple, let him deny and renounce his own will; and resign himself wholly over to be guided and disposed of by my Spirit; and let him resolve to undergo all crosses and afflictions, that shall be laid upon him for my Name's sake, and so let him follow me.

XVI. 28. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Verily I say unto you, Ye shall have no cause to think it long, ere I, the Son of Man, shall come in the glory of my Father; for I will ere long give you very glorious representations and tastes of this ensuing Majesty: some of you shall live to see, not only the image of my future glory in my Transfiguration, but the entrance and progress of my kingdom, both in my powerful Resurrection and glorious Ascension, and in the happy success of my Gospel through many parts of the world.

XVII. 4. Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

O Lord, how glorious a light is this! How happy were it, if we might continue here, and enjoy this blessed sight still!

Below, there is nothing but trouble and danger towards thee: let us keep ourselves well where we are: and, if it please thee, let us build three Tabernacles; one for Thee, one for Moses, one for Elias: as for us, we could be content to lie abroad, so we might be sure of such a presence.

XVII. 9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead.

Do not make report of this my glorious Transfiguration to any man whomsoever; till that my Resurrection shall have convinced the world of my Divine Power, which, in the mean time, must lie shrouded under my manifold infirmities.

XVII. 10. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

And his disciples, hearing him to speak of his Resurrection, and supposing that his glorious manifestation of his kingdom to the world should be effected before any suffering that he should undergo, asked him, saying, Master, if thy kingdom be so near, how is it that we hear not of the coming of Elias? for we have been taught by the Scribes, that Elias must come before that great day.

XVII. 12. Elias is come already. See chap. xi. 14.

XVII. 15. Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is, at certain set seasons of the moon, sore vexed with a devil; who violently handleth him, and casteth him sometimes into the fire, and sometimes into the water.

XVII. 17. O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?

O ye faithless and perverse Scribes and Pharisees, ye have been insulting upon my disciples, for that they could not eject this devil, and now think to find the same advantage against me: how long shall I be pained by being amongst you?

XVII. 21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Howbeit, this kind of devils requires more than the ordinary means of ejection, to dispossess them; for, whereas ye have cast out others by your sole command, there must be more done to these more stiff and tenacious spirits: besides command, here must be earnest prayer unto the God of Spirits ; and, because devotion is apt to grow dull and faint, here must be an exercise of fasting and abstinence, to set an edge upon it and to stir it up.

XVII. 25, 26. What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children,

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