of the ninety and nine which went not aftray. 14. Even fo God is not willing, that 14 Even fo it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of thefe little should perish. 15 Moreover, if thy brother fhall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he fhall hear thee, thou haft gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he fhall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I fay unto you, Whatsoever ye fhall bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye 15. If therefore any of your Fellow- 16. But if he reject and despise your private Admonition, then take with you two or three other Perfons; that by the presence of these Witneffes he may, if poffible, be convinced and made afhamed, and by their Authority may be moved to repent. See x 17. But if this method alfo prove ineffectual to reform him, then tell your Cafe to the whole Body of the Church, that he may be rebuked and admo: nifhed before many. And if he be still Tim. v. fo obftinate, as not to be worked up- 20. & 2 on by this publick Reproof and Cen- Cor. ii. 6. fure, then you have delivered your self, you have done your Duty, you may leave him as a defperately incorrigible Sinner, and have no more to do with him. 18. Affuredly I tell you; whatever ye fhall determine upon Earth, proceeding according to thefe my Directions, fhall I 2 be be confirmed and ratified of God in Heaven. 19. And whatever two or three of you shall agree to ask of God, in order to your acting conformably to the Inftructions I have given you, fhall certainly be granted by him. 20. For where-ever there be gathered together, tho' never fo fmall a Congregation of you, in my Name and according to my Appointment; there am I always ready to affift and join with you, and intercede for you. 21. Then Peter asked Jefus, faying; Lord, if a Man trespass against me, and repent; and afterwards trefpass again and repent; how often am I bound to forgive him, if he continues to repent after repeated Offences? Muft I forgive him seven times? 22. Jefus anfwered: Nay, you must not confine your Refolution of forgiving, to any number of Offences; but how often foever a Man may have trefpaffed against you, yet if he repent, you must continue to forgive him. For fince God forgives Men more and greater Offences, which have been committed against his Divine Majefty; nothing can be more reasonable, than that they fhould be obliged to forgive one another their smaller Trefpaffes. 23. And this will more clearly you understand by an eafie Similitude. A certain King called all his Servants to an Account, that he might fee how each one Stood indebted to him: Thus God examines and judges the Actions of all Men; who receive what they have from him, and are bound to employ it to his Service and Glory. 24. Now when this King began to look into his Accounts, he found one fhall loose on earth, fhall be loofed in heaven. 19 Again I fay unto you, that if two of you fhall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it fhall be done for them of my Father which is in hea ven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 21 Then came Peter to him, and faid, Lord, how oft fhall my brother fin against me, and I forgive him? till seven-times? 22 Jefus faith unto him, I fay not unto thee, Until feven times: : but, Until feventy times feven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of hea ven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his fervants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him Man that owed him no less than ten thousand Talents. Thus God, when he infpects the Actions of Men, finds that fome have wholly mifemployed the Abilities he intrufted them with, and that all have committed very many Offences against him. 25. Then, this Man having spent all, and having nothing to pay, the King commanded him, and all that he had, to be fold; that fo the Debt might be dif charged: Thus God threatens wicked Men, to inflict the Punishment of their Sins upon them. 26 & 27. But the Man fell on his Knees before the King, and promised if he would give him time, to pay him all; whereupon the King in compaffion fet him at liberty, and forgave him the Debt. Thus God, when great Sinners appear forrowful, humble, and penitent, mercifully affords them space of Repentance, and is ready to forgive them all their paft Tranfgreffions. 28. The Man being thus fet at liberty, meets afterwards with one of his own Debtors, who owed him only an hundred Pence: and not confidering how mercifully he had been dealt with himself, violently demands the Debt of him: Thus wicked Men, not confidering how much Mercy they ftand in need of themselves, and with what long-fuffering God defers and is willing to remit their own Punishment; are fierce and eager to have the little Affronts, which others do to them, immediately revenged. 29 & 30. And tho' the poor Debtor fell down on his Knees, and begged only that he might have time allowed him; yet this Man would hear nothing, but threw him prefently into Prifon : Thus I 3 Dos CHA P. XIX. Of Divorces, ver. 1. Of Marriage, ver. 10. Chrift re- A ND it came to pass that when Jefus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coafts of Judea, beyond Jordan: 2 And great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there. 3 The Pharifees alfo came unto him, tempting him, and faying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 1. WHEN Jefus had inftructed his 2. And there also the People gather- 3. But the Pharifees, as ufual, grieved at his Doctrine and Miracles, watched all opportunities of finding fome Accufation against him, and of difcrediting him before the People. And particularly, hoping to entangle him in his Talk, they came and asked him whether he thought it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife upon any account : Imagining, that if he fhould fay it was lawful, he muft contradict his own Chap. v Doctrine; and if he should say it was ver. 32. not, he must seem to deny the Law of Mofes. * * And he anfwered and faid 4. Jefus, knowing their Thoughts, unto them, Have prevented their Cavil by giving an Anfwer out of the Scripture it self, saying; Have ye not read (Gen. i, 27.) that ye not read, that be which made I 4 when |
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