96 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED with the Chriflians in fuch a manner as it would be difficult to feparate them, he compared the gofpel church to a net, which enclofed every fort of frfh, good and bad, but were carefully feparated when they were drawn to land ; the good were preferved, and the bad thrown away ; alluding to the great day of univerfal and eternal decifion and feparation, when the righteous will be received into life eternal, and the wicked call into hell. Our Lord having finned thefe dif- courfes, he afked his difcipies if they underllood them, they anfwered in the affirmative; and our great Redeemeradded, that every teacher of the gofpel ought to referable a perfon whole houfe was com- pletely furnifhed,_and bringethforth out of his treafures things new and old. Not long after this, our great Redeemer left Capernaum, and repaired to Nazareth, the city where he had fpent his younger years, and where he had dwelt with his relations till he entered on his public minifiry, and preached, amongst his old friends and countrymen, the glad- tidings of the ,kingdom. But they, though alto- niched at his dofrine, could not overcome the prejudices they had formerly conceived against him, on account of the meannefs of his family, and therefore would not own him to be the Meoìah ; they could not overcome the thong national prejudice they had conceived against their promifed Deliverer's appearing in a low, mean con- dition in the world ; nor could they give up their ideas of the glory and grandeur of the Meffiah's appearance, fo far as to fuppofe it poffible that JEsus should be the man. Our Lord, therefore, finding them in the fame temper of mind as when he formerly vifited them, did not choofe to Ray long amongst them, but departed and taught in the neighbouring villages. During our Saviour's stay at Nazareth, he fent out his difciples to preach in clif- f ferent parts of Galilee, and proclaim the glad- tidings that God was going to eflablifh the glorious kingdom of the Mefliah, in whichhe would be worfhipped in fpirit and truth; and that they might confirm the docîrines they taught, and convince the whole nation that they received their corn- million from the Son of God, they were endowed with the power of working miracles. The evangelios have not in- formed us how -long they continued their preaching; but it is reafonable to fuppofe that they fpent a confiderable time in car- rying on their work in feveral parts of the country. The people perceiving fuch wonderful works performed by thedifciples ofCHRrs T, were, exceedingly amazed and their ex- peaations were raifed very high: for they could not recolledl that the old prophets had ever given to their fervants the power of working miracles, and, ofconfequence, they concluded that Jesus mull be greater than any of them. This extraordinary circumoance raifed the attention of the nation, and fpread his fame fo effeklually about the country, that it reached the ears of Herod Antipas; the tetrarch of Galilee. This prince having lately, in an unjuft and cruel manner, taken away the life of John the Baptifl, he heard of the mighty works performed by CHRIST, and his difciples, with the utmoft uneafinefs and concern. His attendants endeavoured to disfipate his fears, by telling him that one of the Old prophets was rifen from the dead : but a confcioufnefs of his guilt would not permit him to reft ; for he apprehended, that the illuftrious perfon he had fo bafely murdered, was rifen from the dead, and woulddoubt- lofs be revenged on his murderer. He faid unto his fervants, This is John the Bapti/1; he is rifen from the dead; and therefore nighty zoorks dt _thew forth then- felves in hint. It has been before related, on what occa- fion and in what manner the Baptio was put
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