5 Again,the king. om of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and fold all that he had, and bought it.

45, & 46. Again, As ¶ a Man that trades in Pearls, when he meets with one of exceeding great value, readily fells all the reft that he has, to buy that: So the Virtue and Happiness of the Gofpel is a Jewel of fuch Price, that whoever really fearches, after his chief Good, ought to be willing to quit all earthly Enjoyments, rather than come fhort of this. 47, 48. ¶ Again, Asa Net caft into the Sea, catcheth all forts of Fish, good and bad together; but when it is drawn to the boar, then the Fishermen feparate them, and preferve the good, and caft a way, the bad:

49, & 50. So by, the: Preaching of the Gospel there is gathered together a vifible Church upon Earth, confifting both of good and, bad Men, fincere Chriftians and Hypocrites together; but at the end of the World, God fhall by the Miniftry of his Angels feparate the good from the

evil and then the one shall 3 be rewarded with eternal Life, and the other punished with everlasting Deftruction.

51. When Jefus had finished thefe Parables, he asked his Difciples; Do ye understand all these things that I have taught you? They answered, Yes Lord.

52.Then he faid; Yemuft take care therefore fo to lay up these my Doctrines in your Minds, that ye may be throughly qualified to be Preachers of the Gofpel, and be able upon all Occafions to bring forth out of your Memory, as out of a well-furnished Store-house, Inftructions fuited to Perfons of all Capacities.

53, 54. After this, Jefus departed and returned into his own Country, and there he preached in their Synagogues with so much Wisdom and Authority, that those who knew the meannefs of his Family and the poornefs of his Parents,

works?

Power?

$5,56. Is not his Father a Carpenter? and do we not know his Mother and all his Relations ? plain and mean Perfons? People of no Learning, Power or Authority? How then comes this Man to pretend to fuch Wisdom, and to do fuch mighty Works?

57. Thus they defpifed and flighted him for the meannefs of his Parentage, and rejected his Doctrine out of prejudice to his Perfon. Eut Jefus upbraided them for these unreasonable Prejudices, faying: A Prophet is no where likely to be undervalued and difrefpected, fo much as among his own Country-men and by his nearest Relations: For these Men judging of things only by temporal Confiderations, and defpifing a Man's former meanness, and envying his prefent honour, are therefore

M

apt

apt to reject him and disbelieve his Doctrine; But Strangers, acknowledging the Divine Power by which a Prophet acts, and admiring the excellency of the Do&trine which he preaches, will receive him and honour and believe him.

58. For this reafon Jefus wrought but few Miracles in his own Country: Because there Men by their unreasonable Prejudices and Unbelief, were become uncapable of being benefited by his Divine Doctrine, and unworthy of being convinced by any greater Miracles.

58 And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

CHAP

A

T that time

Herod the tes

trach heard of the fame of Jefus,

"BY

Y this time the fame of Jefus's Doctrine and Miracles, had reached the Ears of Herod, who was Governor of Galilee, and Son of that Herod who had flain the Children in Bethlebem.

2. And when he heard of Jefus, and how People talked varioufly concerning him, fome judging that he was Elias, others that he was Jeremias, and others otherwise Herod himself faid, Surely this is John the Baptift, whom I beheaded', ' He is rifen again from the dead, and therefore these wonderful Works wrought by him.

are

3, & 4. For this Herod had apprehended John the Baptist, and put him in Prifon,and beheaded him there; Anderthe Occafion of his M 2 doing