God will miraculously preserve you: For if you be indeed the Son of God, you have a promife in Scripture (Pfalm xci. 11.) that he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, left at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7. But Jesus answered; Again the Scripture faith, (Deut. vi. 16.) Thou fhalt not tempt the Lord thy God. In prefent Dangers we are to rely upon God; but we must not wilfully throw our felves into Danger, on purpose to tempt his Power or Goodness to work a Miracle to preferve us.

8. This Temptation likewise failing; the Devil refolves to make one tryal more; and carrying him up into an exceeding high Mountain, he at once made to him a representation of all the Kingdoms of the World, in their greateft Splendour and Glory.

9. And faith, All these things will I give you; you shall have all the Riches, and Honour, and Pleasure, that the whole World can afford; if you will but pay me an Acknowledgment, and worship me.

10. But Jesus answered with Indignation; Depart from me, Satan; For the Scripture faith (Deut. vi. 13.) Thou Shalt worship the Lord thy God, and bim only shalt thou serve.

11. The Devil being thus thrice difappointed and baffled, and despairing to fucceed in any other Temptations, departed from Jefus: And good Angels came and ministred unto him, rejoycing at his Victory, comforting him after his Trial, refreshing him after his long Faft.

12. After these things, Jesus hearing that John the Baptist was cast into Prifon by Herod, retired into Galilee.

13. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, a City of great refort near the Lake of Tiberias on the Borders of Zabulon and Nephthali.

14. Where, by his gracious Prefence and Continuance among them, was remarkably fulfilled that Prophecy of Ifaiah, (Ifa. ix. 1.)

15. The dimness shall be no more, as in the time of her vexation. But as at the first he † made contemptible the Land of Zebulon, and the Land of Napthali: So afterwards he shall make them * glorious; even by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

16. The People which fat in Darkness, faw a great Light; and to them which fat in the Region and Shadow of Death, Light is sprung up.

17. From this time Jesus began his Ministry, preaching to the People that they should repent and reform their Lives; for that now God was about to establish the Kingdom of the Meffiah, and to make his last dispensation or Discovery of his Will to Mankind; wherein no external or ceremoniai Performances, but only Faith and true Repentance, and fincerely renewed Obedience, should be accepted to the Salvation of Sinners.

†. *. So Mr. Mede most truly renders the Words and הרבר. I have added also the first Words of the Verse, which perhaps he needed not to have rejected to the foregoing Chapter. 18. Be18. Being therefore about to enter upon his publick Preaching, he began to choose to himself certain Disciples, who should be Witnesses of his Miracles and of his Preaching while he lived, and should publish both his Works and Doctrine through the World after his death. And first, as he was walking by the Lake of Genafereth, he faw two Fishermen that were Brethren, Simon, (who is alfo called Peter) and Andrew, fishing in the Lake.

19. And he faid unto them; follow me, and I will teach you a more noble and excellent Calling. From henceforth ye fhall catch Men; that is, ye shall gain and convert them from Sin and Mifery, to Righteousness and Hap

piness.

20. Upon this Invitation, they prefently left their Nets, and followed him; being very willing to forsake their former Employment, to be sent upon a Work that should more

immediately tend to the Glory of God, and to the Good of Men.

21. A little after, he saw two other Brethren, James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, in a Boat with their Father, mending their Nets; and he called them likewife.

22. And these also, without delay, followed him; quitting the Profit of their Trade, and their dearest Relations, to be employed in so excellent and Divine a Work.

23. With these Men Jefus travelled over all Galilee, preaching, not only privately, but also openly in all their Places of publick Worship; teaching them his true Religion; and proving the Authority and the Goodness of his Doctrine, by the beneficial Miracles of

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the gofpel of the kingdom, and healing all man

Christ's Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the Beatitudes, ver.1. Chrift'sDifciples to be Examples to the World, ver.13. The Gospel fulfils and improves the Law, ver. 17. In the Cafe of Murder and Anger, ver. 21. In the Case of Adultery and Luft, ver. 27. In the Cafe of Divorces, ver. 31. In the Cafe of Swearing, ver. 33. In the Cafe of Revenge, ver. 38. Of loving our Enemies, ver. 43.

AND feeing

the multitu

des, he went up in

to a mountain : and when he was set, his Disciples came unto him.

1. YESUS being pressed with the
F
great multitude of People, retired
from them to the top of a Hill; and
when he was fat down, his Disciples,
and + as many as were defirous to hear + Luk, vii
his Doctrine, drew near and stood about i.
him.

2. And he taught them in short the DoEtrine of the Chriftian Religion, faying; 3. Blessed are those that are poor and humble, modest and contented; who fet not their Hearts upon this present World, nor too eagerly seek the Riches and Splendour of it; who prefer Righteousness before Wealth and Honour, and can readily despise and contentedly part with these Things for the fake of Religion: Blessed, I say, are these Men; for they are fitly prepared to be Members of the true Church of God here, and shall be rewarded with eternal happiness hereafter.

4. Blefied are those who live not in Voluptuousness, but ferioufly lament the Sins and Follies, and patiently endure the Hardships and Afflictions of this present Life: For they shall be comforted with the present Peace and Joy of the Holy Ghost, and with the Happiness of the World to come.

5. Blessed are those, who are of a meek and gentle, a quiet and harmless Spirit; free from Paffion and Violence, from Haughtiness and Turbulency: For fuch Men shall generally be secured in the quiet poffeffion of their Rights in this World by the peculiar Providence of God; or however, shall have an Inheritance in that new Earth, (2 Pet. iii. 13.) wherein Peace and Righteousness are for ever to dwell.

6. Bleffed are those who earnestly defire to become truly Virtuous and Religious: For the Grace of God will never fail to direct such Men in the right way, and to afsist them with fufficient means, to attain the Fruition of true Virtue, both in the Satisfaction of the present practice of it, and in the fulness of its future Reward.

2 And he opened his mouth, and

taught them, faying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

4 Bleffed are they mourn: for that they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Bleffed