LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. 101 510-2e,U04;40441cegg-4°V`ac5+40.' C H A P T E R XVII. The Multitudes, after having been miraculoafy fed in the Wildernefa, attempt to take CHRIST by Force, and make him King : He Thun their Importunity by zoithdrawing himfelf from them : He walketh on the Sea : to his Difciples : He faves Peter, who defired to accompany him, but was linking for want of Faith. CHRIST difputes with the yews in the Synagogue of Ca/iernaum, and declareth.. himfelf to be the Bread of Life : He goes to 3erufalem at the Pafover ; then returns to Galilee, and reproves the Pharifees for their Suuerflition. WHEN the wondering multitudes had partook of the miraculous banquet, prepared for them by our great Redeemer, a fudden flow of gladnefs and elation of mind ran through the de- fert : every eye was fixed on the great Founder of the feaft ; every heart was glad, and every tongue refounded his praife. And now, being thoroughly convinced, that he was their promifed Melíiah, and having no notion of the reign of the Meflìah, but that ofhis fetting up a tempo- ral kingdom, they reverenced him as the great deliverer of their nation, and flood determined immediately to make him King, whether he confented to it or not. Loud acclamations refounded through the woods and wilds, and the voice of exultation and triumph ran along the fide of the mountain where the miracle had been performed : the difciples feemed to join with the multitude in their defires, and every thing was preparing to proclaim him King. Jesus, to prevent the execution of their defign, without their perceiving his inten- tion, fent his difciples away in a boat, with orders to fail to Bethfaida. The multi - No. g. tude were very willing to let the difciples depart, when they faw that Jesus did not go with them ; perhaps, they imagined, that the difciples were fent to provide fuch things as were neceffary againft he affumed the kingdom ; nor did they refufe to difperfe when our Lord difmirfed them, no doubt, defigning to return id the morn- ing; which, we find, was really the cafe. Having thus fent the difciples, and the multitude away, Jesus afcended to the fummit of the mountain alone, fpending the night in heavenly contemplation, and ardent prayers to his almighty Father. But the difciples, meeting with e con- trary wind, could not continue their courfe to Bethfaida, which lay about two leagues northward of the defert mountain, where the multitude had been miraculoufly fed. They, however, did all in their power to land as near the city as poflìble ; but a tempeft wiling, they were tolled all night í in the tumultuous fea, without being able to make the defired port. At the con- clufion of the fourth watch, which was about five o'clock in the morning, they were advanced no further than about a league from the chore they were tolled by the foaming waves, and .oppofed in B b their
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