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the Chrift; and in one place he limits their filence Chapter Vers upon this matter, until he was rifenfrom the dead. (Vide Matth. ch. xvi. v. 20, and ch. xvii. v. 9.) And when the Jews faid to him publickly in the temple-How long doft thou make us doubt? If thou be the Chrift tell us plainly. They received an evasive answer, vide John, ch. x. v. 24. Before this he had given the like answer to other enquiries, vide John, ch, viii, And after this, he does the fame to the high priest, and to Pilate; and when queftioned by Herod, he was filent. And yet, John tells us (ch. ix.) that he difcovered himself to the man who was born blind, receives his adoration, and affigns a reafon for it which muft fail of approbation. It indeed correfponds with fome parts of his doctrine, but is contradictory to those of a better tendency. The fame inconfiftency is found in his orders to those he had healed, &c. Some he commanded that they fhould tell no man : others, that they fhould proclaim what great things God had done for them. Having made this long digreffion, to which the scriptures offer much matter for addition, we will now return to St. Matthew's account of the inftructions given to the twelve.

And as you go, preach, faying, The king- x. 'dom of Heaven is at hand. John began his miffion with this declaration, Jefus followed him; and now orders his difciples to do the fame. It

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Chapter Verfe was indeed an information highly neceffary, if what he affured them, in the 23d verse, had been literally fulfilled- Verily I fay unto you, ye fhall not have gone over the cities of Ifrael, 'till the Son of Man be come. Again ch. xvi. v. 28. Verily I fay unto you, there be fome ftanding here, which fhall not taste of death, till they fee the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.' And again ch. xxiii. v. 36. Verily I fay unto you, all these things fhall come upon this generation.' Greatest part of ch. xxiv, particularly v. 33- So likewife ye, when

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6 ye fhall fee all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.' And in ch. xxi. of St. Luke, the approaching end of the world is declared in the most exprefs, and cleareft terms. Jefus, according to Matthew, proceeds 8 Heal the fick, cleanse the lepers, raise the 'dead, caft out devils: freely have ye received; freely give.' He tells them to provide neither 10 money, nor change of apparel, and gives as a

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reafon-the workman is worthy of his meat. Inftructs them, when they enter a city or town, 11 to enquire who in it is worthy, and with them abide till they went from thence. Adding14 And whofoever fhall not receive you, nor hear your words; when ye depart out of that house

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or city, shake off the duft of your feet: Ve

rily I fay unto you, it fhall be more tolerable

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for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the Chapter Verse

day of judgment, than for that city.' This appears a very heavy judgment, for fo light an offence. Poffibly the Apoftles thought fo: for we do not find they, or either of them used this method of condemnation. (But St. Paul, to whom this direction was not given, executes it readily at Antioch in Pefidea). Jefus tells them ii. to be harmless as doves, but at the fame time, wife as ferpents; being fent forth as fheep in the midft of wolves. Tells them to be aware of men who would deliver them up to the councils, who would fcourge them in their fynagogues. That they fhould, for his fake, be queftioned by governors and kings. And in that fituation they were not to study a defence, for the fpirit of the Father would speak in them. Foreseeing the effects of their miffion; that fome would believe, and others not; he fays- And the brother fhall ' deliver up the brother to death: and the father the child: and the children fhall rife up ' against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye fhall be hated of all men ' for my name's fake.' No wonder if they, by their preaching, occafioned fuch horrid fcenes. And left they might be deterred by viewing them even in idea only; he, after fome other matter, adds- Think not that I am come to fend peace on earth: I came not to fend peace on earth, but a fword. For I came to fet a man' at va

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Chapter Verferiance against his father. (Poffibly this was

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the cafe with James and John, two of his difciples, who had left their father Zebedee toiling for his fubfiftance) And the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law 36 against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes 'fhall be they of his own houfhold.' (I think it is likely, poor Zebedee experienced this. We read that his wife and fons followed Jefus, but we hear nothing of his doing fo himself.) St. Luke, ch. xii. records that Jefus at another time, faid-' I am come to fend fire on the earth, and 'what will I, if it be already kindled? Suppose

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ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I

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tell you nay: but rather divifion. For from henceforth there fhall be five in one houfe di. 'vided, two against three, and two against The father fhall be divided against the fon, and the fon against the father: the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother: and the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law: and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.' Why were these fpeeches made? How were they then understood? And, how are we to understand them now? are queftions of much moment, but of great difficulty. If they were made as prophecies; they were indeed fulfilled, uniformly and regularly, through the course of a thousand years; by a fervent zeal for the Chriftian religion divefted of morality:

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morality and if they were to be understood literally, it could not be otherwife. If the author of this religion came not to promote peace on earth, and good-will towards men,' an hoft of angels, at his birth, proclaimed a lie to deceive a few ignorant fhepherds. If he came to promote diffention, fire, and the fword, of which the world had enough before, he himself had deceived many, by declarations to the contrary. Ambition had, before this, fufficiently corrupted and thinned mankind: but to deluge the world with the blood of fathers, mothers, brothers, fifters, wives and children, under the pretence of kindness for their fouls; was a crime unknown, and reserved, it feems, for the impious followers of a God, whom they proclaimed the God of Peace. Had the devil himself schemed a religion to deceive mankind; he could not have inferted a more pernicious tenet. Thefe horrid scenes, painted by a faithful hand, must plant a dagger in the heart of humanity. Every benificent being, in thofe ages, muft have exclaimed -O happy Paganifm! thy mild and tolerant spirit received the world at large, with all its imperfections: each man worshipped the God of all; under whatever form, by whatever name, and in whatever manner, he thought most acceptable he deified every attribute; and in the festivals, poured forth his grateful thanks to all.

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