They reviled him therefore, and said, Be thou his disciple; but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spake to Moses; but as to this man, we know not from whence he is.

The man answered and said to them, Why, herein is a wonderful thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and he hath opened my eyes. Now we know that God doth not hear sinners; but if a man be a server of God, and doth his will, him he heareth. From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God, he could not do anything.

They answered and said to him, Thou wast wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said to him, Dost thou believe in the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored him.

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they who see not may see, and that they who see may become blind.

And some of the Pharisees, who were with him, heard; and they said unto him, Are we also blind?

Jesus said to them, If ye were blind, ye should not have sin; but now ye say, We see, your sin remaineth.

SECT. LXX. JESUS CONTINUES HIS DISCOURSE. HE SPEAKS OF HIMSELF AS THE DOOR AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

Amen, amen I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but Jerusalem. climbeth up another way, the same is a

thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep: to him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice; but a stranger they follow not, but flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers.

This proverb Jesus spake to them, but they understood not what he spake to them. Jesus therefore said to them again, Amen, amen I say to you, I am the door of the sheep; all others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers, and the sheep heard them not. I am the door. By me, if any man ente: in, he shall be saved; and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures. The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth and scattereth the sheep: and the hireling fleeth because he is a hireling, and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, I also know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it away from me; but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

A dissension rose again among the Jews for these words. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear you him? Others said, These are not the words of one that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

SECT. LXXI. OUR LORD, AFTER RETURNING TO GALILEE,* SETS OUT AGAIN FROM THENCE FOR HIS LAST JOURNEY TOWARDS JERUSALEM. A.D. 29.

And it came to pass that when the days of his assumption were now coming on, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers before his face; and they went and entered into a city of the Samaritans, to prepare for him. And they received him not, because his face was as of one going to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John had seen this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? And turning he rebuked them, saying, Ye know not of what spirit ye are. The Son of man came not to destroy life, but to save it. And they went into another town.

And it came to pass, as they walked in the way, that a certain man said to him, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

But he said to another, Follow me. And he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and to bury my father. And Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

And another said, I will follow thee, Lord; but let me first take my leave of them that are at my house. Jesus said to him, No man putting his hand

*This return to Galilee is not expressly mentioned by any of the Evangelists; but the order of events implies it.

to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.

SECT. LXXII. JESUS SENDS FORTH THE SEVENTY-TWO DISCIPLES. HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO THEM.

And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two; and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come; and he said to them, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he send labourers into his harvest. Go. Behold, I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they have; for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. into what city soever ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you, and heal the sick that are therein, and say to them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, going forth into the streets thereof, say, Even the very dust of your city that cleaveth to us we wipe off against you; yet know this, that the kingdom of God is at hand. I say to you, it shall be more tolerable at that day for Sodom than for that city.

And

Woe to thee, Corozain; woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the mighty works that have been wrought in you, they would have done penance long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And thou, Capharnaum, which art exalted unto heaven, thou shalt be thrust

down to hell.

He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

SECT. LXXIII. JESUS HAVING LEFT GALILEE, JOURNEYS ON TOWARDS JUDEA. ON HIS WAY HE ANSWERS THE LAWYER. THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

And rising up from thence, he cometh into the territories of Judea beyond the Jordan; and the people flock to him again. And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?

But he said to him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? He answered and said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself (Deut. vi. 5). And he said to him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. And it chanced that a certain priest went down the same way, and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan, being on his journey, came near him, and seeing him was moved with compassion; and going up to him bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and setting him upon his own beast brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii,* and gave to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I at my

* i. e. two days' wages: see Matthew xx. 2.