LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. perfon, whom Mofes and the prophets had foertold, and of whole appearance there was at that time fo univerfal an expeétation. During this interval, the difciplesfet be- fore their Lord the provifions which they had beenprocuring, and requefted him to eat ; but he feemed little to regard their entreaties, having turned his thoughts to divine meditations: butbeing further urged, he replied, that he had meat to eat which they knew not of; and gave them to un- derfland, that it was meat and drink to him to do the will, and proceed in the work of his heavenly Father: then looking about him, and Peeing the Samaritans coming in crowds from their city, he faid to his difciples, Say ye not that there are yet four months, and then cometh the harve/l Behold, Ifay unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvell; and he that rea/seth re- ceiveth wages, and githereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that /oweth and he that reajieth, may rejoice together. By this our Lord inftru&ed his wondering difciples, and let them know, that the converfion of thefe Samaritans, who were nowin great crowds furrounding him, was a greater fatisfa&ion to him, than the plea- fure he could receive from the refrefhment he might have experienced in partaking of their provifions : he alto informed them, that to gather this fpiritual harveft, and finifh the work of his heavenly Father, was his proper food ; and adding, for the encou- ragement of his difciples, that as they had laboured with him in this harveft of fouls, fo fhould they be partakers in the eternal harveft of joy, which would be the re- ward of their diligence in the work of God. The words of the woman had taken fuch an effe& on the inhabitants of the city, that many of them believed that JESUS was certainly the Mefliah; and when they crowded about him with won- No. 4. 45 der and joy, their firft requeft was, that he would condefcend to go to their city, and take his abode amongft them. The kind, indulgent Saviour of finners was fo fa vourable to them, that he complied with their petition, and flayed with them two days. This time he fpent in preaching the kingdom of God, and inftru&ing them in the nature of his religion. Such fue- eels attended his miniftry, that a great number of the inhabitants of the city be- lieved on him, and declared unto the wo- man at his departure, Now we believe, not becaufe of thy flying ; for we have heard him ourfelves, and know that this is indeed the Chr, the Saviour of the world. Our Lord, having thus favoured the Samaritans with his heavenly inftru&ions, he left the city of Sychar, and continued his journey to Galilee; and though he did not expe& much honour or efteem amongft his countrymen, he would not negle& giving them an opportunity of re- ceiving his heavenly doétrine. He had performed feveral miracles at Jerufalem, during the late feaft of the paffover, at which many of the inhabitants of Gali- lee were prefent ; his preaching amongft them, in confequence of this, was at firft attended with great fuccefs, and he dwelt fome fmall time at Cana, where he had turned the water into wine ; and both him- felf and his do&rine were kindly received. While he abode at that city, a nobleman of Capernaum, having heard of the many miracles he performed, came to him, and addreffed him with the utmoft reverence and refpe&; at the fame time humbly be- feeching him to come to Capernaum, and heal his fon, who lay at the point of death. Our Lord was fo compaffionate, as to comply with the latter part of the requeR, but thought proper to give the concerned parent to underftand that there was no neceffity for him to take a jour- ney to Capernaum to effe& this cure ; for that great Being, who was prefent in all M places,
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