and SAVIOUR, 7ESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. 179 penfation. And I fay unto you, 117h foever (hall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, andfliall marry another, com- mitteth adultery : and whofo mar-ieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. At which decifion the disciples were greatly furprifed; and though they held their peace while the Pharifees were pre - fent, yet they did not fail to afk our Lord the reafon on which he founded his deter- mination, when they were returned home : And in the houfè his difciples afked him again of the fame natter. And he faith unto them, Whofoever ,/hall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adul- tery against her. And if a woman flail put away her Lifland, and be married to another, fie committee' adultery. Unlimited divorces being prevalent among the Jews, gave great encourage- ment to family -quarrels, were very deftruc- tive of happinefs, and hindered the edu- cation of their tender offspring : betides, it greatly tended to make their children lofe that reverence for them which is due to parents, as it was hardly pollible for the children to avoid engaging in the quarrel. Our Saviour's prohibition, therefore, of thefe divorces is founded on the ftrongeft reafons, and greatly tends to promote the welfare of fociety. Our Lord having, in the courfe of his minifiry, performed innumerable cures in different parts of the country, feveral perlons thinking, perhaps, that his power would be as great in preventing as in re- moving diffempers, brought their children to him, defiring that he would put his hands upon them and biefs them. The difciples, however, miftaking the intention, were angry with the perfons, and rebuked them, for endeavouring togive this trouble to their maker. But JESUS no fooner law it, than he was greatly difpleafed with his difciples, and ordered them not to hinder parents from bringing their children to him: Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for offuch is the kingdom ofGod. That is, the church mi- litant on earth, and that triumphant in heaven, are compofed of perlons who re- femble little children in humility and meek- nefs. Accordingly, taking them up in his arms, he bleffed them with his ufual bene- volence. C H A P T E R XXVI. CtiittST departs from Ephraim, and, in his Journey to Jerufalem by the Way of Jericho, he inflrubíeth a young Man how to attain eternal Life, and how to become pefell ; He iheweth how hard it isfor a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God ; and promifeth great Rewards to his Difciples, and to all who have forfaken ought to follow him: He delivers theParable of the Labourers who were hired at diferent Hours to ruork in the Vineyard: Heforetelleth his own Death and Refurreltion; and putteth by the ambitious Suit of the Sons of Zebedee. THE time of our dear Lord's paffion drawing near, he departed from Ephraim, and repaired by the way of Je- richo, towards Jerufalem : but before he arrived at Jericho, a ruler of the fynagogue came running to him, and kneeling down beforehim, afked him, Good Mailer, what good thing flail I do, that I may have eternal life? Mat. xix. 16. Though this young ruler pretended to pay great honour to
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