ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem ?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except yerepent, ye shall all likewise perish.

C

perish in the ruins of the whole city, as they of that tower.

6¶ He spake also 6. And he spake a parable to them, of which this is this parable; A cer- the plain meaning: This people hath long been untain man had a fig tree planted in his profitable, made no returns to all God's husbandry vineyard; and he bestowed upon them, and yet God hath given them came and sought space to repent, and sent his Son to dress and manure fruit thereon, and them; and if this do not work upon them, there is found none. nothing to be expected but destruction and excision. The parable was this: A certain man—

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it :

9 And if it bear

9. And perhaps it will bear fruit; or, make this ex

fruit, well: and if periment, whether it will bear fruit or no: and if—

not, then after that

thou shalt cut it

down.

IO And he was teaching in one of

the synagogues on the sabbath.

II ¶ And, behold,

there was a woman

which had a spirit sore disease inflicted on her by the devil, ver. 16, of infirmity eighteen for the space of eighteen years, and she did so exyears, and was bowed together, and could tremely stoop, that she could hardly see the heavens. up her

in no wise lift

made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler

the head of the consistory, being angry that Jesus of the synagogue an- did cures on the sabbath, gave command to the mulswered with indig nation, because that titude, saying, There are six days in the compass of Jesus had healed on which men ought to do all the work which they do the sabbath day, and in the week; in them therefore

said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his

1

ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan

g on whom Satan hath inflicted a sore disease of

hath bound, lo, these eighteen years' duration, be cured of this disease on eighteen years, be the sabbath day?

loosed from this

bond on the sabbath day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18 ¶ Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed [a]a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 20 And again he said, Whereunto

19. Matt. xiii. 31.

1 stable: see note [c] ch. ii.

shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

23 Then said one

there few that be

21. Matt. xiii. 33.

h is the doctrine of the gospel likely to be received unto him, Lord, "are by the generality of men, or only by a few disciples of [b]saved? And he us? And the reply that Christ made to this question was to advise him and all others,

2

said unto them,

24 Strive to enter

24. That they should not be led away with the in at the strait gate: example of the many that neglected the present for many, I say unto you, will seek to en- opportunity, and after would not find admission when ter in, and shall not they should desire it, either into the church here or the kingdom of God at the day of doom; that the 25 When once the gospel should at length be removed from the obstinate is risen up, and hath Jews, and consequently heaven also.

be able.

master of the house

shut to the door, and 25-27. That a great deal of timely care and inye begin to stand dustry and contention was required to get the end of without, and to our Christian faith and hope, and that a little formal knock at the door, seeking of him, a desiring the reward upon no farsaying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and ther pretences than that the gospel hath been he shall answer and preached among them, that they have eat and drunk say unto you, I know in Christ's presence, nay, that they have by him been you not whence ye enabled to work miracles, Matt. vii. 22, &c., would 26 Then shall ye not serve the turn, without a careful and due perbegin to say, We formance of all that Christ requires of us. have eaten and drunk others, be their pretences and confidences never so in thy presence, and great, they shall at the day of judgment be utterly thou hast taught in rejected, and their wicked doings rewarded with everlasting fire.

are:

our streets.

27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of in

iquity.

28 There shall be weeping and gnash

As for

28. And then, what a restless torment will it be to ing of teeth, when you to see the fathers of the old world, that never saw ye shall see Abra- or heard Christ preach among them, as you confess ham, and Isaac, and you have, received by God into his kingdom, and you Jacob, and all the rejected! Matt. viii. 11, 12.

prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

2 escape.

29 And they shall 29. And though but few Jews should receive the come from the east, faith, yet disciples shall come in to Christ from all and from the west, and from the north, quarters of the world, and by him in the church be and from the south, received and entertained as at a feast, (which is some and shall sit down farther answer to the question, ver. 23,) and so conin the kingdom of sequently bear the patriarchs company in heaven.

God.

30 And, behold, 30. And they that are now afar off, the Gentiles, there are last which shall be admitted to his favour, while the present shall be first, and Jews through their obduration shall be cast out, ver. 28.

there are first which

gone,

shall be last. 31 The same day 31. Upon his instructing the people, and doing there came certain of miracles in this manner, some of the Pharisees, unwillthe Pharisees, saying ing that they should thus see his power and hear his unto him, Get thee doctrine, were very desirous to have him and hence: for Herod for a pretence suggested the danger that he was in will kill thee. from Herod if he should stay any longer, saying, Go 32 And he said un- out of Galilee, Herod's jurisdiction; for if thou stay to them, Go ye, and here, he will put thee to death.

out, and

depart

tell that fox, Be

fected.

salem.

hold, I cast out de- 32. And Christ (according to his prophetic office, vils, and I do cures which gave prophets authority to reprehend all, were to day and to mor- they never so great in this world, and their commisrow, and the third sion to the execution of that office made them supeday I shall be per- rior to all to whom they were sent, Jer. i. 8, 9, 10.) Nevertheless I answered them, saying, Go tell that great artificer, or [c] must walk to subtile disguised person, Herod, (by the manner also day, and to morrow, of the expression, left dubious, intimating the suband the day follow- tilty of the Pharisees, disguised by them, but by him ing for it cannot be that a prophet discerned, who by the mention of Herod's design to perish out of Jeru- kill him thought to drive him out of their coasts,) that I attend the decree of my Father, and in the mean 34 O Jerusalem, Je- time perform the office for which I was sent, not fearrusalem, which kill- ing what he can do unto me. Behold, I cast out devils, stonest them that are cure diseases for a while at present; and after a while, sent unto thee; how when my course is finished, I am to suffer death. often would I have 33. In the mean time I must do what I do, and gathered thy child- then go and suffer at Jerusalem, being designed by ren together, as a hen doth gather her my Father first to do these works, and then to die brood [d] under her there, that being the place where all people have been wings, and ye would wont to be put to death, at the council of the great sanhedrim, and where, though capital judgments are now 35 Behold, your taken from the Jews, yet the prophets are to be tried. 34. See Matt. xxiii. 39.

est the prophets, and

not!

5

house is left unto

you desolate: and

3 this, ταύτῃ. the day following to go.

to day and to morrow it is necessary for me to do what I do, and on

5

a hird doth her young ones : ὄρνις τὰ ἑαυτῆς νοσσία, the King's MS. reads, and the ancient Greek and Latin.

* οὐκ εἶπεν ἀλώπεκι ἐκείνῃ, ἀλλὰ ταύτῃ, εὐφυέστατα μέσῃ τινὶ χρώμενος φωνῇ, καὶ σαφῶς δεῖκνύων ἐγγὺς ὄντας τῇ ἀλώπεκι τοὺς φαρισαίους, διὰ τὴν πανουργίαν. Titus Bostrensis, p. 805, Β.

verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that

cometh in the name of the Lord.

pass, as he went into the house of one of

1

CHAP. XIV.

AND it came to 1. And being upon an invitation persuaded to go on a sabbath day and dine with one of the Pharisees the [a] chief Pha- of great quality, a ruler or member of one of their risees to eat bread consistories, they themselves that had thus invited on the sabbath day, him did insidiously and treacherously watch and ob2 that they watched serve what he would do, on purpose to take advantage 2 And, behold, there against him (a thing contrary to all laws of hospitality).

him.

was a certain man

before him which

had the dropsy.

3 And Jesus an

a

by way of prevention asked a question of the swering spake unto doctors of the law and Pharisees that were present, the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it saying, Is the working of a cure on a sick man a lawful to heal on the thing forbidden, and so unlawful to be done upon a sabbath day? sabbath day?

4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

6 And they could not answer him again to these things.

7 f And he put

those which were

5. And he said unto them, Which of you

7-10. And being at this feast, he observed how forth a parable to desirous those persons (doctors of the law and Phabidden, when he risees, &c.) were every of them to take place, or have marked how they the precedence at the feast, and thereupon, knowing chose out the chief their inclinations, he spake this parable to them, which rooms; saying unto imported how much more honourable it is for a man them, to set himself below than above his place, and how certain a way that is to get him honour.

8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable

man

1 rulers, which were Pharisees.

2

even they were watching him, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν παρατη

a marriage feast, yaμovs: see note [e] Matt. ix., and note [a] Matt. xxii.