SELECTION XXVII.

quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor,

Fesus teaches the simplicity of prayer;

and the maimed, and the halt, and prays with his disciples on the mountain;

the blind.

15 And the servant said, Master,

and receives and blesses little children.

it is done as thou hast commanded, AND it came to pass, that, as he and yet there is room. And the was praying in a certain.place, master said to the servant, Go when he ceased, one of his disciples out into the highways and hedges, said to him, Master, teach us to pray, and constrain them to come in, that as John also taught his disciples. my house may be filled. For I say to you, That none of those men who were bidden shall taste of my supper.

2 And he said to them, When ye pray, say, Father, we hallow thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in the earth as it is in the heavens. Grant us day by day our needful bread. And forgive us

forgive every one that trespasses against us. And bring us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

16 And there went great multitudes with him and he turned, and said to them, If any man come our errors; for we ourselves also to me, and is not willing to forsake his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, to lay down his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, he cannot be my disciple.

3 And he said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come 17 Which of you, intending to to me, and I have nothing to set bebuild a tower, sitteth not down first, fore him? And he from within shall and counteth the cost, whether he answer and say, Trouble me not: have sufficient to finish it? Lest unfor- the door is now shut, and my chiltunately, after he hath laid the foun-dren are with me in bed; I cannot dation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

rise and give thee. I say to you, Even though he will not rise and give, because he is your friend, yet because of your importunity he will rise and give as much as may be needed.

18 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not 4 And I say to you, Ask, and it down first, and consulteth whether shall be given you; seek, and ye he be able with ten thousand to shall find; knock, and it shall be meet him that cometh against him opened to you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

5 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give

not what he was saying; for they were sore afraid.

him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will he offer II While he thus spake, there him a scorpion? If ye then, being came a cloud, and overshadowed imperfect, know how to give good them: and they feared as they engifts to your children: how much tered into the cloud. And there more shall your heavenly Father give came a voice out of the cloud, saythe Holy Spirit to them that ask ing, This is my beloved son, hear him. him. And when the voice was past,

6 And he spake a parable to them Jesus was found alone. And they to this end, that men ought always kept it close, and told no man in to pray, and not to faint; saying, those days any of those things There was in a city a judge, who which they had seen.

feared not God, neither regarded 12 And he came to Capernaum: man: and there was a widow in that and being in the house he asked city; and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

7 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow And he sat down, and called the troubleth me, I will avenge her, twelve, and said to them, If any lest by her continual coming she man desire to be first, the same shall weary me. be last of all, and servant of all.

8 The Master said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. 9 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 as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

13 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

14 And they brought young chil dren to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased, 10 And there appeared unto them and said to them, Suffer the litElias with Moses: and they were tle children to come to me, and fortalking with Jesus. And Peter said bid them not: for of such is the to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to kingdom of God. Truly I say to be here: and let us make three tab- you, Whosoever shall not receive the ernacles; one for thee, and one for kingdom of God as a little child, he Moses, and one for Elias. He knew shall not enter therein. And he

took them up in his arms, put his Thou art not far from the kingdom hands upon them, and blessed them. of God.

15 Then said he to the disciples, 6 And a certain lawyer stood up, It is impossible but that offences and put him to the test, saying, will come but woe to him, through Master, what shall I do to inherit whom they come! It were better eternal life? He said to him, What for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

SELECTION XXVIII.

The sum and substance of the commandments, and what it is to keep them.

is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

7 And he said to him, Thou hast

AND one of the scribes came, answered right: this do, and thou

and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

2 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: that is the first commandment.

3 And the second is like it, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

4 And the scribe said to him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth for there is one God; and there is none other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

5 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said to him,

shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

8 Jesus answered, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.

9 Which now of these three, think

est thou, was neighbor to him that many that were rich cast in much. fell among the thieves? And he And there came a certain pooi said, He that showed mercy on him. widow, and she threw in two mites, Then said Jesus to him, Go, and do which make a farthing. Then he thou likewise. called to him his disciples, and saith 10 Now it came to pass, as they to them, Truly I say to you, That went, that he entered into a certain this poor widow hath cast more in, village: and a certain woman named than all they who have cast into Martha received him into her house. the treasury: for all they did cast in And she had a sister called Mary, of their abundance; but she of her who also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard want did cast in all that she had, his word. But Martha was cum-even all her living.

bered about much serving, and coming to him, said, Master, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me

SELECTION XXIX.

Jesus teaches that we shouli aiv ays to serve alone? bid her therefore recognize divine authority and at the same that she help me. Jesus answered, time submit to lawful human authority.

Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and

troubled about many things: only one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

AND it came to pass, that on one

of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elII And Jesus said, while he taught ders, and demanded of him, saying, in the temple, How say the scribes Tell us, by what authority doest that Messiah is the son of David? thou these things? or who is he that For David himself said by the Holy gave thee this authority? And he anSpirit, The LORD said to my Master, |swered, I will also ask you one thing: Sit thou on my right hand, till I The baptism of John, was it from make thine enemies thy footstool. heaven, or of men? David therefore himself calleth him. Master; whence is he then his son?

2 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. So they answered that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said to them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

12 And the common people heard him gladly. To them he said in his teaching, Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: who devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation. 3 Then began he to speak to the 13 Jesus sat over against the people this parable: A certain man treasury, and beheld how the people planted a vineyard, and let it forth cast money into the treasury: and to husbandmen, and went into a far