will be nothing but fruitlefs Remorfe and endless Punishment. 49. For as every Burnt-offering under the Law was first falted with Salt, and then confumed by Fire: So every one, who has been inftructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel, if when he is tried, he be found not fincere, fhall be* destroyed by the eternal Fire of the Divine Wrath. 49 For every one fhall be falted with crifice fhall be falted fire, and every sa with falt. 50 Salt is good: but if the falt have his faltnefs, wherewith will you loft have peace one with in your felves, and another. 50. The Doctrine indeed, wherewith I have inftructed you, is fufficient to make you truly Wife and Good, and to preferve you from all the Corrup-feafon it? Have falt tions of this prefent World, and to enable you to teach others to preferve themselves likewise, unto eternal Life. But now if you, whom I have thus inftructed, fhall, inftead of teaching others, fall away your felves from the Profeffion or Practice of the Truth, either through Hope or Fear of any earthly Thing; ye will become the most unprofitable and inexcufable of Men. Take heed therefore, that ye continue ftedfast your selves in the Religion I have taught you; and let no ambitious Defigns and foolish Contentions ar mong your felves, or Fear of outward Sufferings and Perfecutions, hinder the Propagation of the Truth among others. *The Emphasis of this Comparison, as Mr. le Clerc well obferves, lies in the Ambiguity of the Word, 70, which fignifies both fhall be falted and shall be deftroyed. As every Sacrifice is falted (70) with Salt; fo every Apoftate fhall be deftroyed (70 in the other Signification of the fame Word) with Fire. СНАР. CHAP. X. Of Divorce, ver. 2. Jefus bleffes young Children, and res bukes his Difciples that would have hindred them from being brought, ver. 13. Tells a rich young Man the Conditions of eternal Life under the Gospel, ver. 17. Shews his Dif ciples the great Danger and Temptations of Riches, ver. 23. and the Happiness of Suffering for Religion, ver. 28. Foretells his own Death, ver. 32. Reproves his Dif ciples ambitious and worldly Thoughts, ver. 35. Cures a blind Man, ver. 46. I. ESUS, having thus fortified the Minds of his Difciples against the Storm that was coming upon them, and prepared them for the great Trial which they were to undergo in seeing him fuffer; departed from Galilee, and went into Judæa, through that part of the Country which was called, The Country beyond Jordan. Where the People gathered together again about him; and he, as ufual, both healed the Diseases of their Bodies, and instructed their Minds with wife DoЄtrine. 2. And here the Pharifees alfo, according to their Custom, came about him to try to infnare him with captious Questions, hoping to provoke him to fay fomething that might afford Matter of Accufation against him. They asked him therefore; Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife? Thinking within themselves, that if he should say abfolutely it was not lawful, they might then accufe him of oppo-, fing Mofes; and if he should say abfolutely it was lawful, he might then feem to contradict * his own Doctrine. * Matt. v, 3. But 32. Ա 2 3. But Jefus, knowing their malicious Defign, asked them what Mofes had determined concerning this Queftion. 4. The Pharifees answered; Mofes gave a Man liberty in fome Cafes, to put away his Wife by giving her a Bill of Divorce, and to marry another. 5. Jefus faid: 'Tis true; Mofes did indeed grant you this Permiffion; but 'twas merely in Condefcenfion to your ftubborn and untractable Temper: Not that the Thing was fit in it felf; but only to prevent greater Evils. 6. For the original Defign of God before Mankind fell into a degenerate and corrupt State, was quite otherwife: In the Beginning, He created them Male and Female, (Gen, i. 27.) and joined them together, one Man with one Woman, by an infeparable Tie of Nature and Love. 78. So that the Scripture faith, (Gen. ii. 24.) A Man fhall leave all other the tendereft Obligations of natural Affection, forfaking his nearest and most dear Relations, even his own Father and Mother, and fhall cleave unto his Wife, and they two fhall be one Flesh. Wherefore fince God has declared them to be but one Body, they ought to be always look'd upon as fuch; and ought no more to be feparated, than the Parts of one and the fame Body. 9. And though Mofes, becaufe of the Hardness of your Hearts, did indeed for a time allow Divorces; yet this forced Permiffion ought not to continue always; it being very unfit for Man to put thofe afunder, whom I And he answer ed and faid unto them, What did Mofes command you ? 4 And they faid, Mofes fuffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, For the hardness of heart, he wrote you this precept. your God originally defigned to unite toge 10. With this Answer the Pharifees 11. Jefus faid: It is certainly true, as ye have heard me tell the Pharifees: Whofoever fhall put away his Wife, (excepting only if it be for the Crime of Adultery,) and marry another; fhall be accounted an Adulterer in the Sight of God. 12. And if a Won an forfakes her Husband, and marries her elf to another Man, fhe shall be accounted guilty of Adultery. 13. About this time, certain Per- 14. But Jefus, on the contrary, in- U 3 God on Earth, and Partakers of his eternal Happiness in Heaven. 15. Affuredly I tell you, whofoever fhall pretend to embrace the Gospel, without being regenerate and born again; forfaking all Ambition, Craft, and Malice; and becoming in his Temper like one of these little Children; fhall never be owned of God as a true and fincere Chriftian, either here or hereafter. 16. Then taking the little Children up in his Arms, he embraced them, and laid his Hand upon them, and gave them his Bleffing. 17. After this, Jefus departed, continuing his Journey towards Jerufalem. And as he was in the Way, there met him a young Man of Quality, who kneeling down before him, faid: Good Mafter, I am convinced by what I have heard of your Works and Doctrine, that you are an extraordinary Teacher fent from God; Tell me what I muft do, that I may be qualified to be made Partaker of eternal Life. 18. Jefus faid to him: Why do you call me Good, whom you do not know to be any other than a meer Man? There is none perfectly and effentially good, but God only, who is the fole Author of all Goodness and Happiness. 19. However, as to your Question; you know the Commandments, the Performance of which, God has declared to be the Condition of Life and Happiness; viz. Not to commit Adultery, nor any Uncleannefs; not to murder, nor hurt any Man; not to steal, deceive or cheat; not to |