13

When Jefus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a defert place, apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of 14 the cities. And Jefus went forth, and faw a great multitude, and was moved with compaffion toward them, and he healed their fick.

15

And when it was evening his difciples came to him, faying, This is a defert place, and the time (c) is now paft; fend the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jefus faid unto them, They need not depart; give 17 ye them to eat. And they fay unto him, We have 18 here but five loaves, and two fifhes. He faid, Bring 19 them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to fit down on the grafs, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he bleffed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his dif20 ciples, and the difciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the 21 fragments that remained, twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, befide women and children.

22

And straightway Jefus conftrained (d) his difciples to get into a ship, and go before him unto the other 23 fide, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had fent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was 24 come, he was there alone. But the fhip was now

in the midst of the fea, toffed with waves: for the 25 wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night (e), Jefus went unto them walking on the fea.

(c) The day is fpent.

(d) Perfuaded his difciples. See Luke xiv. 23.

26 And

(e) The Jews diftiuguifhed the time of the night by four watches. See Mark xiii. 35. The first watch, which was called evening, began at fix o'clock, and ended at nine. The fecond continued to midnight: The third to three o'clock in the morning, which they

called

26 And when the difciples faw him walking on the fea, they were troubled, faying, It is a fpirit; and they 27 cried out for fear. But ftraightway Jefus fpake un

to them, faying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not 28 afraid. And Peter anfwered him and faid, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he faid, Come. And when Peter was come

1

down out of the fhip, he walked on the water, to go 30 to Jefus. But when he faw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to fink, he cried, faying, 31 Lord, fave me. And immediately Jefus ftretched forth his hand, and caught him, and faid unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didft thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the fhip, the wind 33 ceafed. Then they that were in the fhip, came and worshipped him, faying, Of a truth thou art the ... Son of God.

34 And when they were gone over, they came into 35 the land of Gennefaret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they fent out into all that country round about, and brought unto 36 him all that were difeafed, And befought him, that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

I

THEN HEN came to Jefus fcribes and Pharifees, 2 which were of Jerufalem, faying, Why do thy difciples tranfgrefs the tradition of the elders (a)? for they wafh not their hands when they eat 3 bread. But he answered and faid unto them, 'Why

called cock-crowing: and the fourth watch was from three until funrife, or fix in the morning; when the day, properly fo called, began. (a) Traditions are doctrines and practices handed down from former times, but without authority of Scripture. Sce fome partien lars of this kind in Mark vii. 4, 8. The Romanifts have kewife their traditions, on which they lay great ftre's. D

do

ΤΟ

do you alfo tranfgrefs the commandment of God 4 by your tradition? For God commanded, faying, Honour thy father and mother: and, he that curf5 eth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye fay, Whofoever shall (b) fay to his father, or his mother, It is a gift by whatfoever thou mightest 6 be profited by me, And honour not his father or his mother, he fhall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tra7dition. Ye hypocrites, well did Efaias prophefy of 8 you, faying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

And he called the multitude, and faid unto them, II (c) Hear and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which com12 eth out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Then

came his difciples, and faid unto him, Knoweft thou that the Pharifees were offended after they 13 heard this faying? But he anfwered and faid, Every

plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, 14 fhall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, 15 both fhall fall into the ditch. Then anfwered Peter,

and faid unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jefus faid, Are ye alfo yet without understand17 ing? Do not ye yet understand (d), that whatfoever entereth

(b) That is, Whofoever fhall dedicate to God, for fome pious ufe, what he ought to give for the fupport of his parents, he is not bound by the commandment. Alas! how unworthy a notion this is, to imagine, that God will accept a prefent or bribe, to fet afide the force of his own laws, and overthrow the first principles and duties of nature!

(c) Attend and confider, that ye may understand.

(d) Obferve how ftrong this argument is against placing religion in the diftinction between flefl and fifh; allowing the one to

be

entereth in at the mouth, goeth into the belly, and 18 is caft out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, 19 and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, 20 thefts, falfe witnefs, blafphemies. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwafhen hands, defileth not a man.

21

Then Jefus went thence, and departed into the 22 coafts of Tyre and Sidon (e). And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the fame coasts, and cried unto him, faying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed 23 with a devil. But he anfwered her not a word. And his difciples came and befought him, saying, Send her away, for fhe crieth after us. But he anfwered and faid, I am not fent, but unto the loft sheep 25 of the house of Ifrael (f). Then came the and wor26 fhipped him, faying, Lord, help me. But he an

24

fwered, and faid, It is not meet to take the childrens 27 bread, and to caft it to dogs. And the faid, Truth,

Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall 28 from their mafter's table. Then Jefus answered

29

and faid unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

And Jefus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the fea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and 30 fat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them thofe that were lame, blind,

be eaten on certain days, and forbidding the other: whereas there can be no moral defilement in the nature of any kind of food; for every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with temperance and thanksgiving, 1 Tim. iv. 4. See Note on Acts xv. 21.

(e) See Mark vii. 26.

(f) The house of Ifrael are the principal and immediate object of my compaffion. Chap. x. 5, 6.

dumb, maimed, and many others, and caft them down 31 at Jefus' feet, and he healed them: Infomuch that the multitude wondered when they faw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to fee: and they glorified the God of Ífrael (g).

32

Then Jefus called his difciples unto him, and faid, I have compaffion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not fend them away fafting, left 33 they faint in the way. And his difciples fay unto him, Whence fhould we have fo much bread in the 34 wilderness, as to fill fo great a multitude? And Je

fus faith unto them, How many loaves have ye (h) ? 35 and they faid, Seven, and a few little fifhes. And he

commanded the multitude to fit down on the ground. 36 And he took the feven loaves and the fishes, and

gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his dif37 ciples, and the difciples to the multitude. And they

did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the 38 broken meat that was left, feven baskets full. And

they that did eat, were four thousand men, befide 39 women and children. And he fent away the multitude, and took fhip, and came into the coafts of Magdala (i).

THE

CHA P. XVI.

HE Pharifees alío, with the Sadducees, came, and tempting, defired him that he would fhew them 2 a fign from heaven. He answered and faid unto

(g) Thefe miracles feem to have been performed in the prefence at leaft, if not on the perfons of Gentiles, who therefore fay the God of Ifrael to distinguish him from their own gods.

(h) He afks not this queflion, because he did not know; but in order that, by their declaration of the very fmall quantity of provi fions, they might bear witnefs to the truth and greatness of the miracle. Mark vir 38.

(i) Magdala lay on the coaft of the fea of Galilee, and was the place from whence one of the Mary's was called Magdalene.

them,