me not the door is now shut, and my children with me are in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.' I say unto you, that even if he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many loaves as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Now if a son shall ask bread from any one of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? 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?"

SECT. VII.1

Discourses of Christ during his Sojourn in the Perœa.

LUKE xiv. XV. xvi.

§. 1. At the House of the Chief Pharisee.

AND it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the sect of the Pharisees, on the sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him. And, behold, there was before him a certain man who had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?" but they were silent. And he took hold of him, and cured him, and sent him away. And he answered and said unto them, "Of which of you shall an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and he will not straightway draw him out on the sabbath day?" And they were not able to answer him again to these things.

1 v. H. n.

1

And he spake a parable 1 to those that were invited, when he marked how they chose out the chief places at table; saying unto them, "When thou art invited by any one to a marriage-feast, do not take the chief place at table; lest a more honourable man than thou should have been invited by him; and he that invited thee and him come and say to thee, 'Give this man place;' and then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art invited, go and take the lowest place; that when he that invited thee cometh, he may say unto thee, 'Friend, go up higher!' then thou wilt have glory in the presence of them that are at table with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

And he said also to him that had invited him, "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours ; lest they also invite thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed, because they have no power to recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the righteous."

Now a certain one of them that were at table with him, having heard these things, said unto him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." But he said unto him, "A certain man made a great supper, and invited And he sent his servant at the hour of supper, to many. say to them that had been invited, 'Come ye, for all things are now ready.' And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go forth and see it: I entreat thee have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke

1 Or, admonition.

of oxen, and I am going to prove them: I entreat thee, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife,

and therefore I cannot come.' told his master these things.

And that servant came, and Then the master of the house

being angry said to his servant, 'Go forth quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind.' And the servant said, 'Sir, it is done as thou hast commanded, and still there is room.' And the master said unto the servant, ‘Go forth to the highways and hedges, and constrain persons to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, No one of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.""

§. 2. Discourse with the Multitude, on counting the Cost. Now great multitudes were going along with him: and he turned, and said unto them, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, doth not first sit down, and count the cost whether he have sufficient for the completion of it? lest by any means, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, doth not first sit down and consult whether he is able, with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? and if he is not, while he is yet far off, he sendeth an embassy, and asketh conditions of peace. In like manner, therefore, whosoever there is of you who biddeth not farewell to all that belongeth to him, he cannot be my disciple.

"Salt is good but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fitted neither for the land, nor for the dunghill: men cast it out. He that hath ears

to hear, let him hear."

§. 3. Parables: the Lost Sheep-the Lost Money—the Prodigal Son. Now all the publicans and the sinners drew near unto him to hear him. And the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." But he spake this parable unto them, saying, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the desert, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? and when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing: and when he cometh to his house, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.' I say unto you, that, in like manner, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who have no need of repentance.

"Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? and when she hath found it, she calleth her female friends and neighbours together, saying, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.' In like manner, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

And he said, "A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of property that falleth to me.' And he divided unto them his substance.' And after not many days, the younger son gathered all together, and went from home into a

far country, and there wasted his substance by living dissolutely. And when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks which the swine were eating; and yet no one gave unto him. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many hired servants of my father have abundance of bread, and I am perishing here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and went to his father. But when he was yet far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. But the son said unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight; and I am no more worthy to be called thy son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be joyful: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.' And they began to be joyful. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things meant. And he said unto him, 'Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.' 2 But he was angry, and would not go in: his father therefore came forth, and besought him. But he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, 1 Rather, pods: v. H. n. 2 Lit., being in health.