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XXVIII.

XXVIII.

CHAP. And they came up, and laid hold of the affair continueth among CHAP. on his feet and did him obeisance. the Jews until this day. 10 Then saith Jesus unto them, "Fear not. Go tell my brethren to depart for Galilee, and there they shall see me."

11 As they were going, behold ! Soldiers are some of the guard came into the

bribed to

spread a

apostles in

Afterward the eleven disciples 16 went into Galilee, to the moun- Jesus is tain which Jesus had appointed. seen by his And when they saw him they did Galilee, obeisance unto him; but some doubted.

3

directions

city, and told the chief priests all And Jesus went to them, and 18 false report. that had happened. And after they said, “ All power necessary for where he had assembled with the elders, and the establishment of my kingdom gives them consulted, they gave a large sum is given me in heaven and on how to act. of money to the soldiers, saying, earth. Go ye therefore, and make 19 13" Tell the people, His disciples disciples of all nations, baptizing came by night and stole him away them into the name of the Fa14 while we were ' asleep. And if ther, and of the Son, and of the this affair be brought to a hearing Holy Spirit: teaching them to ob- 20 before the governor, we will satisfy serve all the commandments which him, and keep you from trouble." I have given you; and behold! I 15 So they took the money and did as am with you continually to the they were taught ; and this account I end of the age. Amen.

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CHAP.

I.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MARK'.

I.

HE beginning of the gospel of" Behold! I send my messenger CHAP. Jesus Christ the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophets

* If they had been asleep they could not have told what had been done; but it was death for Roman soldiers to sleep on guard. 2 Being unwilling to believe without sufficient evidence, which this interview no doubt afforded them, before it was over.

3 Into the profession of that religion which had its origin with God, was made known to the world by Jesus Christ, and confirmed by the spiritual and miraculous endowments of its first teachers.

So long as the gifts of the spirit continued among, Christians.

Mark, whose name this gospel bears, was the familiar companion of the Apostle Peter, and called by him his son, that is a person whom he converted to Christianity. He was probably the same person who is called John, surnamed Mark; to whose mother's house Peter retired, when released by an angel out of prison, Acts xii. 12, and who accompanied the apostles, Paul and

before thy face to prepare thy way
before thee:" "A voice of one 3

Barnabas, in their travels. This gospel was
written, A. D. 64, for the use of the Chris-
tians at Rome; and is, for the most part, a
compendious account of what we read in the
gospel of Matthew. Some few particulars
are occasionally added, and especial care
taken to explain such terms as persons living
out of Judea were not likely to be acquaint-
ed with. To account for the fact of the
first three gospels having many passages that
are similar, and many that are the same, we
may reasonably suppose, that the writers
occasionally represented the manner in which
some circumstances and doctrines had been
truly delivered by eye-witnesses, and ear-wit-
nesses, and which had been recorded by them,
or by their hearers, before any complete gos-
pel had been written. Some authentic mate-
rials common to these writers thus existing,
they were sometimes led to use the same ex-
pressions, and to place unconnected transac-
tions in the same order.

1.

ance of John the Baptist.

CHAP. crying in the desert, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make the 4 paths straight for him." AccordAppearingly John came baptizing in the desert, and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for remission of sins. 5 And people from all the country of Judea, and from Jerusalem, went out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, upon con6 fession of their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a leathern girdle about his loins, and he ate locusts and wild 7 honey. And he proclaimed, saying, "One is coming after me mightier than I, the string of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop 8 down and untie. I indeed baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with a holy spirit."

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In those days came Jesus of Jesus is Nazareth in Galilee, and was bapbaptized; tized by John in Jordan; and as he 10 went up out of the water, John saw the heavens open, and the spirit as a dove descending upon 11 him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "Thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

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of Galilee, he saw Simon, and An- CHAP.
drew his brother, casting a net into
the lake; for they were fishers; chooses
and Jesus said unto them, " Come disciples;
with me, and I will make you
And immedi- 18
fishers of men."
ately they left their nets and fol-
lowed him. Going thence a little 19
farther, he saw James, the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother, in
the vessel, preparing their nets;
and as soon as he called them, 20
they left their father Zebedee in
the vessel with the hired servants,
and went after him. And they 21
came into Capernaum: and he
constantly went on the Sabbath-
day into the synagogue and taught.
And the people were astonished at 22
his doctrine; for he taught them
as one that had authority, and not
as the scribes.

2

3

And there was in their syna- 23 gogue a man with an unclean cures a de spirit; and he cried out saying, moniac ; "Ah! what hast thou to do with 24 us, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the holy one of God." And Jesus rebuked him, 25 saying, "Hold thy tongue, and And immediately the spirit lead- come out of him." And the 26 tempted; eth him out into the desert, and unclean spirit, after convulsing he continued there in the desert him, and crying with a loud amongst the wild beasts forty days, voice, came out of him. tried by Satan, and after his trial all were astonished, so that they angels ministered unto him. reasoned amongst themselves, say14. Now after John was delivered ing, "What is this; what new begins to up, Jesus came into Galilee, preach- doctrine is this? for with authopreach; ing the glad tidings of the kingdom rity he commandeth even the un15 of God, and saying, "The time is clean spirits, and they obey him." fully come, and the kingdom of And his fame immediately spread 28 God is at hand: repent and be-into all the country about Galilieve the gospel."

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lee.

And 27

Now as he walked by the lake As soon as they left the syna- 29

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35

votion and

And rising up very early in the unites de- morning, while it was dark, he active be- went into a lonely place, and was evolence praying there, when Simon, and the ogether; rest who had followed him, found 37 him; and they say unto him," All 38 men seek thee." And he saith unto them, "Let us go into the neighbouring towns, that I may preach there also; because for this 39 purpose I am come forth." And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out demons.

meals a

eper;

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And a leper cometh to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me

II.

After some days Jesus returned CHAP. to Capernaum, and it was heard that he was in a house there, And 2 many were soon gathered together, so that even the space about the door could not contain them, and he was preaching the word unto them.

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And a man with a palsy was 3 brought unto him, carried by four cures a persons. And as they could not paralytic. come near because of the mul titude, they made an opening through the flat roof, by forcing open the trap door, and let down the couch on which the sick of the palsy lay'. When Jesus saw 5 their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee."

σε

Now some of the scribes were 6 sitting there, and reasoning thus Declares in their hearts, "Why doth he that he forgave speak thus wickedly? who can sins only forgive sins but God only?" And in the Jesus, knowing at once in his own mind that they were thus reasoning diseases. with themselves, said unto then,

sense of

curing

41 clean." And Jesus, moved with" Why reason ye so in your compassion, stretched out his hand hearts? Which is easier, to say 9 and touched him, and saith, "Ito the sick man, Thy sins are for42 will, be thou clean." And as soon given thee,' or to say, "Arise, take up as he had spoken, the leprosy de- thy couch and walk? But that ye 10 parted from the man, and he was may know that the son of man 43 made clean. And Jesus, after hath authority on earth to forgive strictly charging him, sent him sins (he saith to the sick man) I 44 away, and saith unto him, "See say unto thee, Arise, take up thy 11 thou say nothing to any man, but couch and go home'." And he 12 go, show thyself to the priest, and arose immediately, and taking up offer for thy cleansing what Moses his couch, went out before them

1 The house was built round a court, and had stairs by which persons might ascend from the outside to the roof, and also a stair

case on the inside, down which the paralytic
was carried to Jesus sitting in the court.

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15 and eats

13 Jesus went out again by the side Calls Levi, of the lake, and all the multitude or Matthew, 'came to him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed on, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting at the place where custom was paid, and saith unto him, "Come with me;" and he arose and went with him. And many taxgatherers and heathens were eating in the house, at with him. the same table with Jesus and his disciples; for many of them had 16 accompanied him. And when the 'scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with these taxgatheres and heathens, they said unto his disciples, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with taxgatherers and 17 heathens" Jesus hearing this, saith unto them, "They who are well need not a physician, but they who are sick; I am not come to call righteous men but sinners to to repentance."

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blamed for

I

And as he was going through the 23 corn-fields on the Sabbath, the dis- Disciples ciples plucked the ears of corn on plucking the way. And the Pharisees said ears of corn unto him, "See, why are they doing on the sabwhat is not lawful on the Sab- bath. bath?" And he said unto them, 25 "Have ye never read what David 1 Sam. xxi. and his companions did when hunger pressed him; how he went into 26 the house of God, and ate the show-bread, which the priests only are allowed to eat, and gave also to his companions?" And he said unto 27 them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So that the son of man is 28 master also of the Sabbath."

4

hand cured

Again, he entered into the syna- CHAP: III. gogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And the Phari-Aman with Now the disciples of John and sees watched him whether he would a withered Why Jesus the Pharisees used to fast, and they cure the man on the Sabbath-day, on the did not encome unto Jesus and say, Why that they might accuse him. And Sabbath, join fasting. do the disciples of John and of the he saith to the man with the wither- 3 Pharisees fast, and thy disciples ed hand, "Come forward into the 19 fast not?' And Jesus said unto middle." Then he saith to them, 4 them, "Can the companions of" Is it right to do good, or to do the bridegroom fast, while the ill on the sabbath? to save life or bridegroom is with them? As long to destroy it?" But they kept sias they have the bridegroom with lence. Then, after looking round 5 20 them, they cannot fast. But the upon them, being angry, and at days will come when the bride- the same time sorry for the blindgroom shall depart from them, and ness of their heart, he saith unto then they will fast in those days. the man, "Stretch out thy hand,” 21 No one seweth a piece of new cloth and he stretched it out, and his upon an old garment; if he does, hand was restored to its soundness the new piece which filleth it up, like the other. taketh from the old, and a worse

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Then the Pharisees went out, 6

to regulate the Sabbath; if man in general is
designed, it means that the rules of the Sab-
bath are not binding in urgent cases.

This shows, that neglecting to do a kind
office, when opportunity offers, is doing
ill.

III.

Jesus re

tires 7: those who wished to

destroy

him.

III.

tribute his miracles to

CHAP, and immediately consulted with again, so that they could not so CHAP, the Herodians against him, how much as eat bread. And when his they might destroy him. But Je-own family heard of it they went 21 sus withdrew with his disciples to out to secure him from injury; for the lake, and a great multitude fol- some had told them that he was lowed him from Galilee, and from gone out, Judea, and from Jerusalem, and And the scribes who had come 22 from Idumea, and from the side of down from Jerusalem, said, "He Scribes at8 Jordan; and they about Tyre and hath Beelzebub, and he casteth out Sidon, a great multitude, hearing demons by the prince of the de- an evil what great things he did, came un-mons." And calling them to him, spirit. 9 to him. And he told his disciples he said unto them in parables, to bring a small vessel to him 'be-"How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 cause of the multitude, that they | If a kingdom be divided against it10 might not press upon him. For self, that kingdom cannot stand. he had cured many, so that as And if a family be divided against 25 many as had diseases were pushing itself, that family cannot continue 11 forward to touch him. And the stedfast. So if Satan rise up against 26 persons possessed with demons fell himself and be divided, he cannot down before him, and cried out, continue stedfast, but must have an saying, "Thou art the son of end. No man can enter into a 27 12 God." But he strictly charged strong man's house, and plunder them not to make him known. his goods, unless he first bind the 13 Then Jesus goeth up a mountair, strong man, and then he may plunand calleth to him whom he would, der his goods. Verily I say unto 28 and they went unto him. And he you, all sins may be forgiven the appointed twelve to be with him, sons of men, and all the wicked 15 and to go out to preach, and to speeches which they may utter. have power to cure diseases, and But whosoever shall speak evil 29 to cast out demons. against the holy spirit hath no forgiveness, but is in danger of punishment for the 2 age to come. Jesus spoke thus because they said, 30 He hath an unclean spirit.' Accordingly his brethren and 31 mother come, and standing with-Jesus shows out send in to call him; for the multitude was sitting round him; to him. and some said unto him, "Behold 32 thy mother and thy brethren without are enquiring for thee." And 33 he answered them, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?" And looking on every 34 side, on those who were sitting round him, he saith, "Behold my mother and my brethren! For 35 whosoever shall do the will of God,

Chooses

twelve apostles.

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1. Simon, surnamed Peter;
2. James, the son of Zebedee;
3. John, the brother of James;
(Now Jesus had surnamed"
these two ' Boanerges, that is,
Sons of Thunder)

4. Andrew ;

5. Philip;

6. Bartholomew;

7. Matthew;

8.

Thomas ;

9. James, the son of Alpheus;
10. Thaddeus';

11. Simon, the Canaanite;
12. Judas Iscariot, who also de-
livered his master up.

And they go into an house, and
the multitude crowded together

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Jerusalem, when the Christians escaped, and
the impenitent Jews were involved in ruin.

who were

most dear

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