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ancient prophets was risen again. And Herod* said, John have I beheaded; but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him?

And the apostles having returned, told him all that they had done. And taking them, he went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the multitudes, when they knew it, followed him; and he received them, and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of cure. Now the day began to decline: then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; unless we should go and buy food for all this people. (For they were about five thousand men.) And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fishes; and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and what remained+ to them was taken up, twelve baskets of frag

ments.

* Herod had murdered John, and was now afraid that he had risen from the dead, his guilty conscience tormenting him: for a bad man is a terror to himself.

+ That nothing might be lost. The wasting of those things which are given for our use, is sinful. Besides that, the miracle was thus made more striking, from the remaining fragments so far exceeding the whole five loaves. It also showed that Jesus did not design ordinarily to supply himself and his followers with food by miracle, although he healed the sick, &c. every day.

And it came to pass, as he was alone* praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Who say the multitudes that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say Elias; and others say, That one of the ancient prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But who say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christt of God. And he strictly charging them, commanded them to tell this to no man; saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For§ whosoever wishes to save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, he shall save it. For what shall a man profit to have gained the whole world, but to have lost himself, or be cast away? For whosoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, There are some of those standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.

And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. || And whilst he

* Alone; i.e. absent from the people.

+ Peter answers in the name of all, and declares their conviction that Jesus was the Christ, that is, the anointed One of God.

Not to publish it till after his resurrection.

The love of this life, and its enjoyments, is a great temptation to deny Christ, and to renounce his religion, and whoever would wish to save life in this world on such terms, will fail of eternal life in the next.

The glory in which Christ now appeared was a specimen of that glory in which he shall come to judge the world.

was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was dazzling white. And, behold, there talked with him two men, who were *Moses and Elias: who appearing in glory, spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep and awaking they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they were departing from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he was thus speaking, there came a cloud,+ and overshadowed them: and the disciples feared as they entered into the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son hear him. And when the voice was uttered, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him. And, behold, a man from the multitude cried out saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son; for he is mine only child: and lo, a spirit seizeth him, and suddenly he crieth out; [and he throweth him down,] and teareth him so that he foameth; and, bruising him, hardly departeth from him. And I be

*The appearance of Moses the lawgiver, and Elijah the chief of the prophets, both attending on Christ, shewed the agreement of the law and the prophets concerning him, and their fulfilment in him.

+ This cloud was a sign of the Divine Presence.

These words within brackets are found in three manuscripts, and several ancient translations. They have probably been supplied from Mark ix. 13.

sought thy disciples to cast him out and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation! how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was coming, the demon threw him down, and tore him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and cured the child, and delivered him again to his father. And all were amazed at the mighty power of God.

But while all wondered at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, Mark attentively these words:* for the Son of man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. But they+ understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, so that they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me for he that is least‡ among you all, the same shall be great. And John answering said, Master, we saw one casting ont demons in thy name; and we forbad him, because he follow

* Mark attentively, &c. literally, lay these words to your

ears.

The disciples as yet had but an imperfect apprehension of the office of the Messiah. They expected him to deliver the Jewish nation from bodily servitude to the Romans, and to re-establish the throne of Israel in the house of David. They could not therefore reconcile his death and sufferings with their pompous ideas of his character. Our Lord took frequent opportunities of undeceiving them, and of showing them that his glory was of a different kind from that of this world.

Christ will have his disciples aim at the honour of humility and meekness, and not to be ambitious of worldly rank.

eth not with us. And Jesus said to him, Forbid* him not: for he that is not against us is for us. And it came to pass, that when the days of his removal were fulfilled, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face, and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make preparation for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was directed toward Jerusalem. And his disciples, James and John, seeing this, said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias‡ did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not of what kind of spirit ye are. For the Sons of Man is not come to destroy, but to save the lives of men. And they went to another village.

And it came to pass, that, as they went, a certain man said unto him, on the way, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him,

* We are here taught not to condemn those who do that which is good in itself, but who, in their manner of doing it, follow not exactly the plan that we would approve of.

†The Samaritans would not receive him, because they saw that he was going to worship at Jerusalem. They insisted that Mount Gerizim was the only true place of worship.See John iv. 20.

The occurrence referred to here by the disciples is recorded in 2 Kings, 1st chap. when Elijah called for fire from heaven to destroy the captains and their fifties, whom the king of Israel had sent to take him. This happened near Samaria, perhaps at the very place where Jesus and his disciples were.

$ Christ's religion is not to be supported by inflictions of temporal death. It inspires with a spirit of love and peace.

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