thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church and if he also refuse to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

"Again I say unto you, If two of you shall agree on earth concerning any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

And the apostles said unto the Lord, "Increase our faith." But the Lord said, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamore 2 tree, 'Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea;' and it should obey you. But which of you is there having a servant plowing, or feeding cattle, who, when he cometh in from the fields, will straightway say unto him, 'Come and place thyself at table?' but will not rather say unto him, 'Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunk; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?' Doth he thank that servant because he did the things commanded? I think not. So likewise ye, when ye have done all the things commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants: We have done what we ought to do.'"

Then came Peter to him, and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother trespass against me, and I forgive him? till

1 M.: Now if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if seven times in a day he trespass against thee, and seven times in a day turn again, saying, 'I repent;' thou shalt forgive him. L. 2 [Or, Sycamine.]

seven times?" 1 Jesus saith unto him, "I say not unto thee, Till seven times; but, Till seventy times seven. On this account the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a king, who chose to reckon with his servants. And when he began to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents. Now as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord 2 commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and threw himself at his feet, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant, when he went forth, found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred denarii: and he seized him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me that which thou owest.' His fellow-servant therefore fell down, and besought him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was owed by him. But when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and went and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord, having called him to him, saith unto him, "Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: oughtest not thou also to have had pity on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?' And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the gaolers, till he should pay all that was owed to him. Thus also will my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother."

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these words, he departed from Galilee.

1 [Comp. L. xvii. 3: v. n. p. 148.] 2 Or, master: v. H. n. 3 Or, fell down and did him reverence: v. H. n.

PART VII.

OUR LORD'S FINAL JOURNEY FROM GALILEE, THROUGH THE PEREA, TO HIS ARRIVAL AT BETHANY SHORTLY BEFORE THE PASSOVER.

SECT. I.

Our Lord sets out for Jerusalem-is refused Reception in Samaria-While passing through the Confines of Samaria and Galilee, in order to go into the Peraa, he heals Ten Lepers.

LUKE ix. 51-56. xvii. 11-19.

AND it came to pass, when the days were fulfilled in which he was to be received up,1 that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers before his face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, in order to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he was going to Jerusalem. Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did ?” But he turned, and rebuked them, [and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of."] And they went to another village.1

3

1 Lit., the days of his being received up. 2 Or, (without the Hebraism,) before him. 3 Or, because he was going. v. H. n.

And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, that he went through the confines of Samaria and Galilee.1 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voice, and said, "Jesus! Master! pity us!" And when he saw them, he said unto them, "Go and show yourselves unto the priests." And it came to pass, that as they were departing they were made clean. Now one of them, when he saw that he was cured, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. But Jesus answering said, "Were not ten made clean? but where are the nine? There are not found any that returned 2 to give glory to God, except this stranger." And he said unto him, "Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath restored thee."

SECT. II.

Christ teaches in the Perca: Declaration to the Pharisees

respecting Divorces.

MATT. xix. 1-12. MARK X. 1-12.

AND he arose from thence,1 and cometh into the borders of Judea, through the country beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes resort to him again; and he healed them there and as he was wont, he taught them again.

:

And the Pharisees came unto him, trying him, and saying unto him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" And he answered and said unto them, "What did Moses direct you to do?" And they said, "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away." And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Have

1 v. H. n. 2 Or, none have returned, &c.

ye not read that God, he who made them, from the beginning of the creation, made them male and female? For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they two shall be one flesh :'1 so that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." They say unto him, "Why therefore did Moses direct to give a writing of divorcement and put her away?" He saith unto them, "For the hardness of your hearts Moses suffered you to put away your wives, and wrote for you this direction; but from the beginning it was not so."

And in the house his disciples asked him again, concerning the same matter. And he saith unto them, "I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, not for fornication, and marry another, committeth adultery against her and he who marrieth her that is put away, committeth adultery. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.' "2

His disciples say unto him, "If the case of the man be thus with his wife, it is not good to marry." But he said unto them, "All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs, who were so born from their mother's womb and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He that is able to receive it, let him

receive it."

:

1 Gen. ii. 24. 2 Comp. M. xix. 4-9, with Mk. x. 3-12, for different modes of recording this interview.