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Fragments, as, when they were gathered up, filled seven Bread-baskets.

39. After this, Jefus fent away the People; and went himself by Water into the Country of Magdala.

filled and they took up of the broken meat that was left,

feven baskets full.

38 And they that did eat, were four thousand men, befide women children.

and

39 And he fent away the multitude, and took fhip, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

CHAP. XVI.

The Pharifees ask a Sign from Heaven, and are denied, ver. 1. The Difciples warned to take heed of the Leaven of the Pharifees and Sadducees, ver. 5. The Peoples Opinion of Chrift, and Peter's Confeffion of him, ver. 13. Jefus foretells his Death, and rebukes Peter for Speaking against it, ver. 21. The neceffity of bearing Afflictions and Perfecutions, ver. 24.

I.

A Bout this time fome of the superftitious Pharifees and unbelieving Sadducees came to Jefus to tempt him and ask him captious Queftions, that they might find fome opportunity of reproaching and accufing him. And they defired that he would fhow some miraculous Sign, immediately from Heaven; which might demonftrate him to be fent of God, and to act by his Power and Commiffion.

23. But Jefus knowing their Obftinacy and Malice, anfwered them

thus. Ye Hypocrites, wherefore do ye urge me to fhow you more Signs;

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as if God had not already given you fufficiently plain Tokens, to know both who I am, and wherefore I am fent? Ye are skilful enough in fmaller Matof Things that are to happen; ye can ters, to obferve the Signs and Tokens guefs by the Face and Colour of the Sky, what Weather is like to be the next Morning or Evening. Why then will ye not take pains in Affairs of greater Concern, to obferve the Periods and Revolutions of Things? Why can you not study to learn from the Predictions of the Prophets, and from the Things which ye fee accordingly come to pass, to know the Time and the Perfon of the Meffias.

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4. But ye are a degenerate and perverfe Generation of Men. Ye have feen many of the Things, which were foretold of the Meffias, already accomplished in me; and yet ye will I have not understand nor believe. already worked many and great Miracles in your Sight, and yet nothing will convince you but more Signs. I tell you, God will not vouchfafe any more Signs to this Generation, but only this one to render them inexcufable; that as Jonas, after having been three days buried in the Sea in the Belly of the Whale, was caft up again alive; fo Chrift, after he fhall be killed and buried in the Earth, fhall on the third day be raised again.

5. Having given this Answer, Jefus turned away from the Pharifees and Sadducees, and left them, and went with his Difciples over the Lake; and as they were in their Paffage to the other Side, they found that they had forgotten to take Bread, 6. Where.

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6. Whereupon Jefus taking occafion from the Similitude of Bread to draw fome useful Inftructions for his Difciples, bad them take care to avoid the Leaven of the Pharifees and Sadducees; meaning their Doctrine and Hypoerifie, which was apt to fpread like Leaven.

7. But the Disciples not understanding his Meaning, faid among themfelves; This is to rebuke us for our forgetfulness in not taking Bread.

8. Jefus knowing their Mistake, faid to them; Why are you fo difturbed and troubled at your having forgot to take Bread? Do you think I am concerned and speak about that?

9. Do you not know how eafie it would be for me to provide Bread, if that were the thing I was concerned about? Have you forgotten how I once fed five thousand Men with five Loaves, and yet there remained no less than twelve Baskets full of Fragments?

10. And how at another time I fed four thoufand Men with feven Loaves, and there remained no lefs than seven Baskets full of Fragments?

11. Why then are you fo dull and flow of understanding, as to think that I fpake about Bread, when I bade you take heed of the Leaven of the Pharifees and Sadducees?

12. Then they understood, that it was not Bread that he meant, but the evil Doctrines and Hypocrifie of the Pharifees and Sadducees.

6 Then Jefus faid unto them,Take heed and beware of

the leaven of the Pharifees, and of the Sadducees.

7 And they reafoned among themfelves, faying, It is because we have taken no bread.

8 Which when Jefus perceived, he faid unto them, O ye of little faith, why reafon ye among your felves because ye have brought no bread ?

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five

loaves of the five

thoufand, and how many baskets ye took up?

10 Neither the feven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

11 How is it that ye do not understand that I fpake it not to

you

concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Sadducees?

12 Then under

flood they how that

he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine

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18. By your Conftancy therefore in this good Confeffion, you fhall eminently be, what your Name fignifies, a Rock: that is, you fhall after my Refurrection and Afcenfion, be a firm, unfhaken, and immoveable Profeffor

of the Truth: You fhall be the † firft + See Acts Preacher of my true Religion to the x. Gentile World; and fo become as it

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I.

were the first part that is laid of that
Foundation, upon which my Church
fhall begin to be built; which fhall after-
wards, as a well-proportioned Build-
ing, be continued and increafed by the
addition of fincere Converts in their
feveral degrees; and all the Powers of
Death and Hell fhall never be able ut-
terly to destroy it.

19. You fhall firft open the Kingdom *See Acts of the Meffias, and make the firft Publication of the Gospel to the Gentiles. And whatever Ordinances you shall by the Affiftance of the Holy + See Acts Ghoft make and † establish, for the orderly Settlement of the Churches ; your Determination fhall be ratified and confirmed of God.

XV.

20. Thus Jefus made himself plainly known to his Difciples. But then, either because he would not provoke the unbelieving Pharifees, to apprehend him before his Time; or because he would not give occafion to the Multitude to come together feditiously, and make him (according to their false Notions of the Meffiah) a Temporal King; or because he knew it to be more agreeable to his Defign, that Men fhould collect and conclude who he was, from his Doctrine and Miracles, than that they should be told expressly by his Difciples; therefore he strictly

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingwhatsoever fhalt bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven and whatfoever thou fhalt loofe on earth, fhall be loofed in heaven. he his difciples that 20 Then charged they should tell no man that he was Jefus the Chrift.

dom of heaven: and thou

*That the Rock here mentioned, is not the Confeffion, but the Perfon of Peter, seems plain from the Conftruction of the Words; But then 'tis alfo as evident, that by the Churches being built upon him, is not meant his being the only Foundation of it, or having Supremacy over it, but his being the firft Preacher of the Gospel in order of time. Thus Ephef. ii. 22. Ye are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles, &c. See also Revel. xxi. 14.

21 From

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