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if nothing can happen even to the meaneft of those Creatures, without the Providence and Direction of God; how much less to you?

32. Here then is a cer tain trial of Mens Faith and Obedience. He that not withstanding all the Terrors and Threatnings of Perfecution, shall ftill fincerely perfevere in his Obedience to God, and without Fear continue ftedfast in the Profeffion of true Religion; fhall be owned by me before God and Angels, as a worthy Disciple, and fhall receive the Reward of eternal Life.

33. But he that for fear of Mens Hatred and Perfecution, fhall renounce and be ashamed of the Profef fion of true Religion, or act contrary to the Precepts of it; fhall be denied by me before God and Angels, as an unworthy Disciple, and fhall lofe the Reward of everlasting Life.

34. And

34. And do not perfuade your felves that ye may avoid this Trial. Do not

34 Think not that

I am come to send

peace on earth: I came not to fend

think, that the World will peace,but a sword.

entertain the Chriftian Religion in the Love and Peaceableness of it. I tell you nay; but wicked Men will make it an occafion of Hatred and Quarrels.

35: Nay, to fuch a height will these Contentions upon the account of Religion arife, that a Mans neareft Friends and Relations fhall become his bittereft and moft cruel Enemies.

36. And even those of a

35 For I am come to fet a man at variance against his father,and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36 And

mans

his own houfhold.

Man's own Family, fhall foes fhall be they of hate and perfecute him to destroy him.

37. This is indeed a hard and fevere Trial. But when things do come to this extremity, that a Man muft either lose the friendship of his dearest Relations, or for fake his Religion; all earth. ly and temporal Confiderations muft yield to the one thing neceffary, of fecuring an eternal Interest. For whoever shall prefer the

37

He that loveth father or mother more then me, is not worthy of me and

he that loveth fon or daughter more then me, is not worthy of

me.

38 And he that

taketh not his crofs, and followeth after

me, is not worthy of

me.

39 He that find

eth his life fhall lofe it and he that lofeth his life for my

fake, shall find it.

40 He that re, ceiveth you, recei

veth me; and he that receiveth me,

Love of a Father, or Mother, or Brother, or Sifter, before true Religion and Virtue; cannot be a fincere Disciple of Chrift, nor be accounted worthy to be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven.

38. And he that cannot follow me in bearing Sufferings, Afflictions, and Death; cannot be thought worthy to partake with me in my Glory.

39. So that the Cafe plainly comes to this. He that to save his Life in this prefent time, bafely complies with wicked Men by forfaking his Religion; does moft truly lose it by incurring eternal Death: But he that constantly perfeveres, and lofes his Life in this prefent time to preserve his Religion and his Virtue ; does moft truly fave it unto eternal Happiness.

40. ¶ With these Inftructions, Go ye, and preach the Gospel through all the

receiveth him that Cities of the Jews. He that

fent me.

entertains you, and hears and obeys your Words, shall

be

be esteemed as if he received me: And he that receives me, shall be accepted as if he had heard and obeyed the Words of God himfelf.

41. He that receives a Preacher of Righteousness, merely upon the account of his bearing that Character, without any temporal Confideration; and fhall entertain, and encourage, and affift him; fhall be look'd upon to have an Interest both in his Work and in his Reward. And he that fhall entertain a righteous Mans merely upon the account of his being a righteous Man, without any other Confideration; shall be entitled to a fhare of his Reward.

42. And whofoever shall do any the smalleft kindness, or give any the leaft affistance, to the meaneft of my Disciples, merely upon acmerely upon account of his being a Disciple, without any worldly Confiderations; Affuredly I tell you, he fhall by no means go unrewarded.

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CHAP. XI.

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I.

・WH

HEN Jefus had thus inftru&ted his Apoftles, and sent them forth to preach the Gospel, he departed, and travelled himself through many Cities of the Jews, teaching and inftructing the People, and confirming his Doarine with Signs and Miracles.

2. The report of which Miracles fpreading over all the Country, came alfo at length to the Ears of John the Baptift, whom Herod for. his freedom in reproving his Faults had fhut up in Prison: But his Disciples were admitted to come to him in the Prison, and they acquainted him with the Fame of Jefus's Miracles. Whereupon John sent two of them to Jefus.

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