LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRÍST 109 that meats being of a corporeal nature, could not defile the fpirit of a man, or render him polluted in the fight of God : no real guilt can be contraaed this way, except the meats are ufed to excefs, or in direa contradiaion to the command of God; and then the pollution proceeds from the man, who fuffers himfelf to be prevailed on to trangrefs a pofitive com- mand, and not from the meat, which, as the good creature of God, is lawful to be received. Thus, that which entereth in at the mouth, doth not defile the man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, proceeding from a wicked heart, fuch as evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, forni- cations, thefts, falfe witnf, blafphemies thefeare the things which defile a man ; but toeatwith unwafhen hands, d f lethnot aman. Difcourfes Iike thefe could not fail of exceedingly, offending the proud, felf -, conceited Pharifees, and raifing their re- fentment to it's highefi pitch : for thefe, and fuch lite obfervations of our Lord, tended to firip them of that outfide flíew of fanaity and fuperior firianefs, with which they veiled their deformity, and ren- dered themfelves fo venerable in the efleem ofthe vulgar Jews. Thefe difcourfes, there- fore, and the general oppofition the proud Pharifees met with from the Son of God, excited them, with the utmoft pride and envy, not only to oppofe his doflrine and degrade his miracles, but to attack his reputation and plot againft his life. Our great Redeemer thought it unneceffary to continue the conteft with fuch hardened hypocrites, and determined oppofers of the truth, and therefore immediately de -' parted out of the country. C H A P T E R XVIlI. JEsus, at the repeated Requf of the Woman of Canaan, cures her Daughter: Re- flares the Faculty of Speech to a dumb Man at Decapolis: Miraculoufly feeds the Multitude a fecond Time in the Defert, conjIling of upwards of Four Thoufand Perfons, with only Seven Loaves and a few fmall Fes : Warmly exhorts his Difciples to beware of the Leaven of the Scribes and Pharifees, who required of him a Sign from Heaven: Rfores Sight to a blind Man, near the City of Bethfaida After which, he departs into the Towns of Cafarea-Philippi, where he approves and commends the Faith of Peter. THE Lord of life having departed from Galilee, to evade the cruel and malicious defigns of the Pharifees, he re- tired to the borders of Palefline, and ap- proached near to thofe two famous ma- ritime cities Tyre and Sidon : but fo great was the veneration of the common people, fuch the fame he had acquired by his kind and beneficent anions, and fo many the benefits which multitudes had received from his all- healing goodnefs it was not poffible he fhould be concealed. And, No. to. though he was now in the territories of the Gentiles, he foon found himfelf foli- cited to lend that afï'ifiance to the helplefs and miferable, for which he was fo famous in the land of Ifrael. The fir[l, amongfl the inhabitants of thefe Heathen cities, which implored the affiflance of the Son of God, was an unhappy parent, whofe only daughter had an unclean- fpirit, and wasgrievoufly vexed, with a devil. Various were the difcourage- ments which lay in the way of the.afiliaed D d matron ;
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