CHAP. XXII. СНАР. ХН. 36 Mafter, which asked him, which is is the great command- him, the first commandment 29 And Jefus an- 30 And thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy ftrength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the fecond is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf: there is none other commandment greater than thefe. 32 And the fcribe faid unto him, Well Mafter, thou haft faid the truth: for, there is one God, and there is none other but he. this question to him: Which is the chiefeft Precept in the Law? Jefus immediatly replied; That was the greatest of all which bid the Jews remember there was but One God, whom alone they were to worship with all the Affections of their Soul, Deut. 6.4. 10. 12. This, faid he, is the greatest Command of all, and compre hends the whole Duty of Man towards God. The next like unto it enjoins the loving of our Neighbor as one's felf, and contains, if rightly understood, all the mutual Offices of Men one among another, Lev. 19. 18 than which there was no greater Precept in the whole Law: and that upon the obfervance of thefe depended the Authority of the Law and the Prophets; and upon the neglect of them, all the Precepts contain' d in the Law and the Prophets would be altogether infignificant.. Then faid a certain Lawyer, Mafter, thou haft rightly determin'd, fince there is but MATTHEW. CHAP. XXII. 41 While the Pharifees were gathered together, Jefus ask'd 'em, 42 Saying, What 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the foul, and with all the ftrength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole-burnt offerings and facrifices. 34 And when Jefus faw that he answered difcreetly, he faid unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durft ask him any question. LUKE. 35 And Jefus an- 41 And he said unthink ye of Chrift? fwered and faid, while them, How fay they whofe fon is he? They he taught in the that Chrift is Davids fay unto him, The temple, How fay the fon? fon of David. 43 He faith unto them, How then doth David in fpirit call him Lord, faying, 44 The LORD faid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? fcribes that Chrift is the fon of David? 36 For David him- 42 And David himfelf faid by the holy felf faith in the book Ghoft, The LORD of pfalms, The LORD faid to my Lord, Sit faid unto my Lord, Sic thou on my right hand, thou on my right hand, till I make thine ene- 43 Till I make mies thy footstool. thine enemies thy footstool. JOHN. but one God whom we must adore; and if we love him as much as we are able, and without a Rival, and our Neighbor as our felves, we worship him much more acceptably than if we offer'd all manner of Sacrifice. Jefus obferving his pious Reflection, commended him as one not far from the Doctrin of the Kingdom of Heaven. After this the Pharifees and Sadduces durft ask him no more questions. But Jefus perceiving a great Multitude of the Pharifees got together, ask'd them how it came to pass that the Interpreters of the Law affirm'd the Meffiah fhould be born of the Family of David; fince David himfelf, who was infpir'd by the Holy Ghoft, fpeaks thus concerning him, Pfal. 110. 1. The Lord faid unto my Lord, fit thon on my Right Hand, till I make thine Enemies thy Footftool? Since David calls him his Lord, how can he be fuppos'd to defcend from David? In which words he intimated the vaft difproportion between David and the Messiah, and confequently that the Dignity of the Meffiah was celeftial, fince there is none among Men greater than that of King, and that David did not think any one fuperior to himself. The Multitude liftned attentively while he thus accofted the Pharifees, nor durft any of them make any reply to him, nor after that day offer any more infnaring Questions. CHAP. LVI. Jefus vehemently inveighs against the Vices of the Pharifees and Lawyers. commends the Liberality of a certain poor Widow. Не ESUS having, as we have related, avoided the Snares laid for him by the Chief among the Jews, began to admonith his Difciples and the reft of his Hearers not to be corrupted by their evil Example. The Lawyers and Pharifees, faid he, are appointed to inftruct you in the Law of Moses: Take diligent heed therefore to what they recommend for your obfervation, and also not to imitate Kkk their 4 For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be born, and lay them on mens fhoulders: but they themselves will not move them with one cf their fingers. 5 But all their works they do, for to be feen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermoft rooms at feasts, and the chief feats in the fynagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. & But be not ye cal which love to go in long clothing, and love falutations in the market-places, fcribes, which defire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, 39 JOHN. their Morals, which are by no means conformable to their Doctrine. Beware of the evil example of the Lawyers, who that they may feem to interpret the Law with great exactnefs, impofe many difficult Ceremonies upon others, to which they themselves refuse to fubmit, and feverely injoin the obfervation of what they will by no means comply withal themfelves; whereas men of integrity are wont in the first place carefully to practife that which they recommend to others. Whatever they do is merely out of oftentation, and for this reafon they wear larger Phylacteries than ordinary, that the fcarlet edgings of their Garments are broader, and their Robes longer: Thus they think to render themfelves confpicuous, and to. be diftinguish'd from the Vulgar. But they betray the true grounds of their Singularity, by eagerly contending for the uppermost places at Entertainments, and the chief Seats in the Synagogue; by being delighted with the Salutations of the People in. the Streets, and the honorable appellation of Rabbi (i, e. Mafter) which are fo far from being marks of a religious pious Difpofition, that they are certain tokens of a proud and haughty Temper. As for you, who are all equal and Fellow Difciples, do not you affect the title of Mafter, which is peculiarly due to the Meffiah, the common Mafter of you all; nor let any one arrogantly impofe his own private opinion upon others. Call not any one your Father, thereby fignify ing your readiness to obey him in all things, fince there is one only whofe Com→ mands you are neceffarily oblig'd to obey, namely your Father which is in Heaven. Let no one among you affume the character of Guide over the reft, as if they were blindly to follow him in every thing; there is one infallible Guide, namely the Meffiah, whom you may at all times fecurely follow without any danger of wandring. The true way to Greatnefs is to be eminently ufeful by performing all the good offices you are able; whereas on the contrary, the proud and domineer ing perfon fhall be abas'd, and 'tis by Humility you may expect to rife. Oye Lawyers and Pharifees, Hypocrites, you have provok'd the Divine Ven geance by fhutting up all the Paffages to the Kingdom of Heaven, or the knowledg of the true Religion, which you neither afpire after your felves, nor fuffer others to fearch for, who elfe might be acquainted with it, and partake of the Happiness annex'd to the due performance of its Laws. Great fhall be your Punishment, O ye Lawyers and Pharifees, Hypocrites, who cheat Widows of their Eftates, impofing Kkk 2 |