be filled with the Holy Ghoft, even from his Chapter Verfe, 'mother's womb; and he fhall go before him

in the Spirit and power of Elias.' But I do not perceive, wherein with the spirit and power of Elias, John restored all things. He began his miffion, by preaching repentance, and enforced it by a declaration, that the kingdom of Heaven was at hand: He baptifed many, and at length Jefus himfelf; of whofe perfon and miffion he, at first, bore ample teftimony: and how it happened, that he, who was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, fhould doubt at laft, I know not.

We will now refume St. Matthew's hiftory,he tells us that when Jefus and the three selected difciples had joined the other nine, who were furrounded by the multitude; he found they had been in vain folicited by a father to heal a fon who was a lunatic, and poffeffed by a devil, Jefus healed the child immediately, and being privately afked by the nine, why they could not caft out in this cafe, he replied-Because of your xvii. unbelief, (was it because they were not so fufceptible of belief as they should have been, that they were excluded from the transfiguration fcene?) For verily I fay unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard feed, ye shall fay unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it fhall remove: and nothing fhall be impoffible unto you. (If thefe nine, or even the favoured

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Chapter Verfe favoured three, ever poffeffed this faith, it doth

xvii.

xviii.

not appear they ever ufed the power acquired by it, even in cafes of felf-defence.) Jesus added— 21 Howbeit, this kind (of devil) goeth not out but by prayer and fafting. Luke tells us that Jefus and three of his difciples, went up into the mountain to pray. Fafting, in fuch a place, was likely enough; but we may fuppofe the nine below. did neither, and had fomehow loft the power given to them ch. 10, v. I. Matthew proceeds

And while they abode in Galilee, Jefus faid 22 unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed 23 into the hands of men: and they fhall kill him,

and the third day he shall be raised again.' And they were exceeding forry. St. Mark addsbut they understood not that faying, and were afraid to ask him. This is the fecond time Jefus had foretold this catastrophe, Peter was now too wife to object; and afraid, it seems, to ask an explanation of what he was ignorant. After this, Jefus being at Capernaum, the receivers of the tribute money, demanded of Peter, if his mafter paid tribute. Peter anfwers in the affirmative; and Jefus, to avoid giving offence, fends him to take from the fea, a fifh, in whofe mouth he would find a piece of money fufficient for the purpose. This story is not recorded by Mark, Luke, or John. Matthew begins his 18th chapter-At the fame time came the difciples unto Jefus, faying who is the greatest in the kingdom

of

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of Heaven? This question we may, from the Chapter Verse anfwer, fuppofe was meant with refpect to themfelves. He fhews the neceffity and advantage of humility. What is meant by cutting off a hand, or a foot; plucking out an eye, &c. I leave to the ingenuity of allegorical definers; they will be fafer in reasoning, than was poor Origen in practice and they will find fufficient employment in this chapter, viz. Whofo fhall offend one of xviii. thefe little ones (children) which believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-ftone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the fea. Verily I fay unto you whatsoever ye fhall bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven: and whatsoever ye fhall loofe on earth, fhall be loofed in Heaven. Again I fay unto you, that if two of you fhall agree on earth, as touching any thing they fhall afk, it fhall be done for them of my father which is in Heaven. The remainder of this chapter enforces the forgivance of trefpaffes. When Jefus had finished thefe inftructions in Galilee, he went into the coafts of Judea beyond Jordan; where he healed the multitude who came to him. Hither likewife came fome of the Pharifces who tempting him, as it is called, afked-Is it law- xix ful for a man to put away his wife for every caufe? He anfwered in the negative, in every cafe, fornication excepted. His difciples fay unto him, If the cafe of the man be fo with

his

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xix.

Chapter Verfe his wife, it is not good to marry.' Some of them had wives, and if they were to be deprived of a privilege fo exceedingly useful, poffibly they thought themselves worse off than thofe who had none. If his reply to their remark, was meant as an explanation or inftruction, I, un12 happily, am not able to receive it: Part of it, I apprehend, confirmed poor Origen in his error. Little children, contrary to the inclination of his disciples notwithstanding his late lecture, were brought to him, and he laid his hands upon them faying of fuch is the kingdom of Heaven.' Departing thence, a young man accofted him. 16 thus-Good mafter, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life (this, I apprehend, was a Pharifee) Jefus afks why he called him good, and added-There is none good but one, that is God. He then tells him, that if he will enter into life, he must keep the commandments. The young man afks which, and Jefus in anfwer enumerates the 6th, 7th, 8th 9th and 5th only; (it cannot be fuppofed that he meant to fupprefs the other five, because in the 17th, 18th and 19th verfes of the 5th chapter, he plainly tells his difciples that all the commandments were to 20 be kept) the young man replied-all these things

have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jefus answered if thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come

and follow me.

But the young man, being rich Chapter Verse went away forrowful. And as we hear no more of him, we may suppose he did not follow the advice he had received. Mark gives nearly the fame account but has a remarkable addition: when the man replied-all these have I observed from my youth-Then Jefus beholding him, loved him.' If Jefus knew that this man (Luke calls him a ruler) was covetous, and would not comply with his directions, how happened he to love him? and if he did love him, it may be afked, why did he not convert him? the anfwer is his own-No man can come to me, except the Father draw him.' John ch. 6, v. 44. And yet if he had no power of his own in thefe cafes, why did he fay, ch. 18, v. 11, The Son of Man is come to fave that which was loft? Jefus commenting upon the foregoing tranfaction, afferts, not only the difficulty, but the impoffibility of the rich attaining Heaven. The difciples, in amazement, afk him-Who then can be faved? xix. The answer folves all difficulties, and has been from that day to this, in the hands of Saint-Errants, an impenetrable Shield of defence against the attacks of human reafon. With men, this is impoffible; but with God, all things are poffible.' Peter, finding the rich were not to poffefs any part of the kingdom of Heaven, and wishing to know what his own fhare would be; fays to his mafter-Behold we have forfaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? and re

ceived

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