sister called Mary, which also "sat at " behaved herself as a disciple, never parted from Jesus' feet, and heard him, but attended diligently to all that was delivered his word. 40 But Martha was * cumbered by him. about X * wholly taken up about making provision for (and much serving, and distributing to) the guests, (see note [a] on ch. viii.,) came to him, and and she came to Christ, and desired him to bid her not care that my sister Mary to join with her to make provision for the sister hath left me company, which was too much for her to do alone. to serve alone? bid said, Lord, dost thou her therefore that she [b] help me. 4I And Jesus careful and troubled answered and said y thou takest a great deal of unnecessary, though unto her, Martha, not culpable pains (as in all worldly business there Martha, thou art is a great deal more solicitude than is necessary): about many things: 42. But the one only thing which is absolutely 42 But one thing necessary, the hearing my word in order to the keepis needful: and Mary ing it, the receiving advantage by my coming to thy hath chosen that house, is much a more acceptable thing to me than good part, which shall not be taken the entertaining me with so much diligence; and the advantage of this will continue to Mary to all eternity. away from her. CHAP. XI. AND it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain his disciples took into consideration how needful it place, when he ceased, one of his disci- was for them to be directed in a right performance of ples said unto him, that duty, and thereupon, at his coming out to them, Lord, teach us to one of them besought him to give them a form of pray, as John also taught his disciples. prayer, which they might constantly use, as John 2 And he said un- Baptist had given to his disciples. 1. And upon occasion of his frequent retiring to prayer, at a time when he was upon that performance, to them, When ye 2. And upon that demand of his, (being another pray, say, Our Fa- time, and upon another occasion from that in the ther which art in heasermon on the mount, Matt. vi. 9,) Christ said to his name. Thy kingdom disciples, Whensoever ye pray solemnly, omit not come. Thy will be to use this form of words, Our Father— ven, Hallowed be thy done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is [a] indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 5 And he said unto them, Which of you 3. See Matt. vi. 11. a hath done us any injury. * the good portion, τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα. shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey travelling by this way, is come to my house, and is come to me, and I I have nothing to entertain him. have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: [b]the door is now shut, and my child с e both I and my children, which might deliver it to ren are with me in thee, are in bed bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, because he is his Though he will not d If respect of friendship will not work upon him, rise and give him, yet his coming without bashfulness at such a time of friend, yet because night, which is an argument of his real want, and of of his importunity his confidence in him to whom he comes, will cerhe will rise and give tainly make him rise and 1 him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto 9. And the same effect, let me tell you, will your you, Ask, and it shall constancy and earnestness in prayer to God have be given you; seek, and ye shall find; upon him. knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one 10. For no child or friend of God's ever misseth to that asketh receiv- receive from him what he thus asketh. eth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knock eth it shall be opened. II If a son shall 11-13. There is no fear that God should deny ask bread of any of such petitions, or give his children any hurtful thing, will he give him a when they ask that which is good for them; and stone? or if he ask a though many things which men ask be not such, yet fish, will he for a fish his Spirit, and the assistances of that, are so certainly give him a serpent? so, that they will never be denied to them that ask 12 Or if he shall ask them of the Father. an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 1 shamelessness, ἀναίδειαν, to them that ask e and the disease which that devil inflicted on the him? man deprived him of speech, and he cast out the 14 And he was devil, and restored the man to his speech again; and and it was dumb. the people— casting out a devil, And it came to pass, 15. But some persuaded themselves, ver. 17, that when the devil was all his power was from Beelzebub, Matt. ix. 34, and and that he having power of all inferior devils gone out, the dumb xii. 24, spake; and the peo- enabled him to cast them out. ple wondered. 15 But some of them 16. Others, to make trial of his power, desired him said, He casteth out to shew them some miracles or tokens of God's senddevils through Beel- ing him, some voice from heaven, or the like. zebub the chief of the devils. 17. To the former of them, those that thought he 16 And others, used the devil's power to cast out devils, he used these tempting him, sought arguments of conviction, (and to the latter his answer of him a sign from is set down, Matt. xii. 39, and here ver. 29, &c.,) 17 But he, knowing Every kingdom heaven. against itself is house falleth. their thoughts, said 18. If there be a division among the evil spirits, unto them, Every and one devil set himself against another, their kingkingdom divided dom cannot long endure: for though it is possible for brought to desola- the advancing of the devil's kingdom one instrument tion; and a house of his may undo that which another hath done, which divided against a is not a division, but a politic union and conjunction in the same project, yet for one to oppose, and viodivided against him- lently to eject the other, (see Mark i. 25,) and do his self, how shall his utmost to cast him and his kingdom out of the world, kingdom stand? be- this is a division which cannot be imagined among cause ye say that I those that are of a conspiracy, but only betwixt cast out devils enemies bent to ruin one another: (see note [g] on 19 And if I by Beel- Matt xii. 27:) because ye— 18 If Satan also be through Beelzebub. zebub cast out devils, f that which is done by them before your eyes will by whom do your be an argument of conviction against you. sons cast them out? 20. But if by the power (and Spirit, Matt. xii. 28.) therefore shall they of God it be that I cast out devils, then, as the mirabe your judges. 20 But if I with the cles of Moses, confessed by the magicians to be done finger of God cast by the finger of God, Exod. viii. 19, were a certain out devils, no doubt testimony that he was sent by God to redeem the the kingdom of God people out of their bondage, so is this a certain argu21 When a strong ment that I am now sent by God to redeem you if you man armed keepeth will believe on me. is come upon you. 22 But when a his palace, his goods 21. The devil will not be cast out of his possessions are in peace : unless some person armed by the power of God, stronger than he superior to what the devil is possessed with, come and shall come upon him conquer him. and overcome him, 22. And therefore my casting out devils is an arguhe taketh from him ment that I come with that power, greater than any 2 all his armour wherein he trusted, the devil hath, and conquer and disarm him, and give 2 his complete armour, τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ. and spoils. divideth his all that follow me the benefits of that victory to be distributed among them. 23 He that is not 23. It is proverbially said, He that is &c., and with me is against therefore he that doth not assist, but cast out Satan, me: and he that ga- must be resolved to be an enemy of his, and not to operate by power from him: see Matt. xii. 30, and 24 When the un- Mark ix. 40. thereth not with me scattereth. clean spirit is gone 24. But to you that have received such miracles of out of a man, he mercy, (particularly that of casting out devils,) and walketh through dry made no use of them, I shall add this parable, places, seeking rest; and finding none, When the unclean spirit &c.: see Matt. xii. 43. he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and gar nished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first. 27 And it came 27. And about this time his mother and brethren to pass, as he spake came to speak with him, and one came and told him these things, a certain woman of the so, Matt. xii. 47; and upon mention of his mother, a woman there present said aloud, Blessed is the womb― company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is sucked. the womb that bare 28. But he said, Whosoever shall hear and obey thee, and the paps the word of God is to me as dear as mother or brewhich thou hast thren, Matt. xii. 49, 50, and indeed that blessedness 28 But he said, Yea of being an obedient faithful servant of God is far rather, blessed are greater than this other of having been the person of they that hear the whose womb Christ is born, abstracted or separated word of God, and from this other of having undertaken the obedience 29 ¶ And when the of God. keep it. people were gathered 29. As for the second question proposed, ver. 16, thick together, he he now in the presence of a great multitude gave began to say, This is an evil generation: answer also to that, (see Matt. xii. 39,) This is an evilthey seek a sign; and 30. For as Jonas preaching in the streets of Nithere shall no sign neve, being accompanied with the miracle of having be given it, but the been three days in the whale's belly, and then being sign of Jonas the cast up on the shore alive, was an assurance to them prophet. 30 For as Jonas was that without repentance they should speedily be dea sign unto the Nine- stroyed; so shall the preaching of Christ to the men vites, so shall also of this age, accompanied with his death and resurthe Son of man be rection after three days, be a certain forerunner of to this generation. destruction to them that believe not. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, "a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, 4h a 8 here is more of wisdom, heavenly divine doctrine, than ever was in all Solomon's words or writings: Matt. xii. 42. h here is more powerful preaching, denunciation of greater than Jonas severer judgments, than those that Jonah denounced against Nineve. is here. 33 No man, when 33. To that purpose of ver 28. that they only are he hath lighted a blessed which not only hear but observe God's comcandle, putteth it in mands, belongs that known speech of Christ, delivera secret place, neied at another time also, Matt. v. 15, and Luke viii. 16, but on a candlestick, No man, &c. that they which come in may see the light. ther under a bushel, 34 The light of the therefore when thine 34. And to the same purpose may be applied that body is the eye: other, used also by Christ in the same sermon on the mount, (see note [7] on Matt. vi. 22,) that the heart whole body also is being once truly warmed with Christian virtues will full of light; but fill the whole body with charitable and Christian when thine eye is evil, actions. eye is single, thy thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed there- 35. Take care therefore that the Christian precepts fore that the light and graces afforded thee be not accompanied with an which is in thee be unchristian life. not darkness. 36 If thy whole 36. If therefore the Christian doctrine have taken body therefore be full full possession of thee, and no faculty or affection be of light, having no left out from being wrought upon by it, then sure the part dark, the whole shall be full of light, actions will be most illustriously so, and the whole as when the bright life of such an one will be as a room with a blazing shining of a candle torch or candle in it, enlightened in every corner, withdoth give thee light. out any intermissions or mixture of unchristian actions. 37 And as he 5 spake, a certain Pha |