cealed it till he could get it into his possession by buying the field, for which he accounts no price too dear.

In the second parable, he compares the gospel to a jewel of vast price; for to those who have followed the study of wisdom and the practice of holiness, the gospel of Christ, is as welcome as a prize to a merchant, who being in pursuit of rich merchandize, and meeting with an inestimable jewel, disputes not the price, but immediately sells all that he hath in the world, and purchaseth it; telling his disciples withal, that although purity and spiritual perfection were intended by the gospel, yet they would not be acquired by every person; but that the public professors of christianity should be a mixed multitude, like a net inclosing fishes good and bad; which should finally be distinguished, the good to be preserved, and the bad to be cast away. Likewise the same distinction would be observed, not only at the time wherein Christ should come to take revenge on his enemies at the destruction of the Jewish state, but especially at the final day of every man's doom, at the conclusion of the world.

After these discourses, he retired into his own city of Nazareth, where he was bred, and taught the people pub. licly in their synagogues, which he did in an extraordinary manner, expressing such knowledge, and performing such miracles, that they who saw and heard him, were amazed at them; and they that knew his birth and education amongst them could not but admire, saying, “Whence can he be imagined to derive the power of doing such miracles? Do we not know him, his parents, and relations?" The people of Nazareth did him no honour as a prophet : they regarded his birth here below, but not his commission from heaven; though he evinced plainly by his miraculous acts from whom he came : they would know him in nothing but the disadvantages of his youth, kindred, trade, and poverty; still retaining in their minds the infirmities and humility of his first years, and keeping the same apprehensions of him now a man and a prophet, which they had of him whilst a child in the shop of a carpenter. But when Jesus in his sermon had reproved their infidelity, at which he wondered, and therefore did but few miracles there compared with what he had done at Capernaum,

and had intimated the preference that Capernaum should have before Nazareth, they were so incensed at his just reproaches, that they resolved to destroy him; in order to which they thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which it was built, intending his execution by throwing him down head-long. But the great work for which he was sent, was not yet finished; and therefore to preserve himself for the performance of his Father's will, he miraculously saved himself by departing through the midst of them, who had not power, though malice enough, to seize him.

Jesus having miraculously escaped the fury of his own countrymen, withdrew from ungrateful Nazareth, and travelled into Galilee, teaching in most of the towns and villages thereof, attended by his disciples, and certain women, out of whom he had cast unclean spirits, such as were Mary Magdalene, Johanna wife to Chuza, Herod's steward, Susanna, and some others, who attended him, and ministered to him out of their own substance, and became part of that holy society, which about this time bes gan to be full; because now the apostles, whom our Saviour had sent out by two and two, were returned from their preaching, full of joy that the devils were made. subject to the words of their mouth, and could no longer stand at the invocation of the holy name of Jesus. Hav ing thus wrought miracles, and taught the people whereever they came, they began to be a little puffed up with their successful itinerancy, which their holy master perceiving, suppresses the rising vanity of their minds; and to destroy the vain conceits to which these miraculous actions of theirs had given birth, he intimated to them, that such privileges were not the solid foundation of a holy joy, any farther than as they co-operated toward the great end of God's glory, and their own salvation; to which they were chosen, their names being written in the book of life, on which account the highest degree of joy is reasonable, holy, and unchangeable.

It was now about a year since Herod had committed

Herod. Our translation and that of Geneva seem to represent Herod as a prince who respected John the Baptist, and had a great esteem for all he said,

John the Baptist close prisoner to the castle of Macheruns, lying all the while exposed to the fury and resentment of a malicious woman, who could not forgive the rebuke the Baptist gave to Herod, in telling him it was unlawful for him to have his brother's wife. In vain had Herodias racked her brain for an opportunity to destroy him for it, for Herod had not yet filled up the measure of his iniquity. But, after a year's waiting, a favourable occasion presented itself to complete her revenge. Herod's birth-day being solemnized with much mirth and gaiety, among other joyful entertainments nothing contributed so much to Herod's pleasure and satisfaction as the performance of Herodias's daughter in a dance: insomuch that Herod rashly promised her whatsoever she would ask, and confirming his promise with an oath. The damsel, not wicked enough of herself, consulted her impious mother, who as readily as maliciously instructed her daughter to demand the head of John Baptist: to obtain this she addresses herself to Herod, and demands the performance of his promise. Herod was now troubled* indeed; variety of thoughts dis

Mark vi. 20. Though by St. Matthew and St. John he is represented as a very wicked man, whom nothing but the fear of the people, that looked on John as a prophet, prevented putting him to death, Matt. xiv. 5, Luke iii. 19, 20. But we are to consider, that the Greek word Synetærei, which the Geneva version translates to reverence, and ours to observe, signifies "to keep prisoner," or "to observe or watch with an ill design." We must consider farther, that Robert Stephens, and Beza, had some Greek copies, where, instead of the words which we render "He did many things," there are words which signify "He was much vexed or troubled:" which indeed much better represent the temper of that dissolute prince. Josephus the historian observes, that Herod had put John Baptist to death, because he thought the people were altogether led by him; which is an argument that he did neither respect him, nor hear him gladly, nor do many things for love of him. The text then should be thus translated, "for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and holy, and he kept him prisoner, or kept a watchful eye over him, and having heard him he was much perplexed, though he heard him peaceably.

• Troubled. The ancients were wont on their birth-day feasts to forbear all secular employments, to have no quarrels nor contentions, no pleadings in their courts, but especially no shedding of blood, no executions; counting it unfit to deprive any of life on the day they received their own. This therefore might be one

turbed him; not so much from the fear of doing an evil action in murdering a good man, but of the people's resentment, who had a high opinion of John's mission. However, because he had sworn, and that it might not appear from levity or inconsistency to those that were at the feast with him, he would not retract his promise, but sacrificed the Baptist to a rash vow, made in the gaiety of his riotous entertainment. John, being beheaded, his head was brought in a dish, and presented to the young girl, who gave it to her mother. John's disciples hearing of this, took care of his burial,‡ which being done they came to Jesus, whose forerunner John was, and told him all that had befallen John, staying (it is probable) with Jes sus as his disciples.

The miraculous cures which the apostles wrought, were soon spread around the country; but when those of our Saviour came to be divulged, the fame of them echoed through the palaces of princes; insomuch that cruel He. rod, in all his greatness, was alarmed with anxious thoughts as soon as ever he heard the mighty character of Jesus, and the wonders he performed. His lethargic soul was roused from its sinful security, and his jealous apprehen

of the occasions of Herod's sorrow or trouble for this demand of the girl.

• Heud. It has been said, that when Herodias had the head presented to her by her daughter Salome, she thrust the tongue through with a needle, and afterwards buried the head in her own palace, thinking, perhaps, to secure it against a re-union, lest it should disturb her unlawful lusts, and disquiet Herod's conscience.

+ Girl. There is an ancient tradition, that this girl, who danced off the Baptist's head, passing over a frozen lake, the ice breaking, she fell in up to the neck, and that her head was parted from her body by the violence of the fragments of ice shaken by the water, and its own fall. Nor was it long before God's judgment reached the incestuous couple: for Aretas, a king in Arabia Petrea (whose daughter Herod had divorced, or put away for Herodias) making war with Herod for the affront offered to his daughter, defeated him: soon after which the adulterous pair were banished to Lyons in France by a decree of the Roman senate, where they lived ingloriously, and died miserably.

grave

Burial. John was buried in Sebaste, in the confines of Samaria, having his between the bodies of Elizeus and Abdias the prophets.

sions were such as arose from his guilt: he thought it was John the Baptist who was risen from the dead, and that these mighty works were demonstrations of his power, increased by the super-additions of immortality, and more divine influences, proportioned to the honour of a martyr, and a state of separation.

When Jesus heard of the barbarous treatment of John, that the same might not befal him before he had fulfilled the office for which he was sent, he departed by ship from thence, taking none but his disciples with him, and went to a place not inhabited. But he could not be long concealed any where; for the people hearing where he was, though in an inhospitable desert, flocked to him in vast numbers, taking a great circuit by land before they could reach him. The holy Jesus, seeing their faith and zeal, though he came to this desert to avoid being thronged, would not conceal himself any longer from them; but being moved with compassion he came to them, and healed their sick. But considering afterwards that they were not within reach of any entertainment, there being no house or village near, lest the multitude should faint in their return to their houses, he resolved by a miraculous supply to make provision for them: and demanding what store of food they had, the disciples told him they had only five loaves and two fishes. Upon which commanding the company to sit down on the grass, he took the loaves and fishes, and looking up to heaven, blessed and brake them, giving them to the disciples to divide among the multitude. Here was a miracle beyond the expectation or desire of the people: they obtained their object in attending him, by having their sick healed; but when they saw that with five loaves of barley, and two small fishes, he had satisfied five thousand men, besides women and children, and that the fragments which remained filled twelve baskets, the miracle so happily met their wants, that they no longer doubted of his being the Messiah, who was to come into the world, and therefore they designed to take him back with them by force, and proclaim him king.*

*King. See John vi. 15.