CHAP. XIV.

1 AT that time Herod the tetrarch heard of 2 the fame of Jesus, and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist he has risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works are. manifested by him.*

3 For Herod had taken John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his 4 brother Philip's wife.t For John said unto,

him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to death,

he feared the multitude, because they esteem6 ed him as a prophet. But when Herod's birth

day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced 7 before them and pleased Herod. Whereupon

he promised with an oath, to give her whatso8 ever she should ask. And she, being before in

structed of her mother, said, Give me here John 9 Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was

sorry; nevertheless, for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he comman10 ded it to be given her. And he sent and be11 headed John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel : 12 and she brought it to her mother. And his

Then Herod believed it possible one might rise from the dead. It is indeed no uncommon thing for infidels to believe strange things, and even to be superstitious.

What dissoluteness of manners! What cruelty mingled with their pleasures!

Certainly it would be better to violate a rash and wicked oath than to do an action evidently cruel and vicious. But we should be careful how we make promises or vows.

disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

13

When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place, apart; and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him 14 on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he ⚫ healed their sick.

15

And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past, send the multitude away that they may go into the villages, and 16 buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart give ye them 17 to eat. And they say unto him, We have 18 here but five loaves and two fishes. He said, 19 Bring them hither to me. And he command

ed the multitude to sit down on the grass, and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed,* and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the 20 disciples to the multitude. And they did all

eat and were filled and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 22 And immediately Jesus constrained his

disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the 23 multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain

He blessed God or gave thanks.

24 come, he was there alone. now in the midst of the sea, 25 for the mind was contrary

apart to pray :* and when the evening was But the ship was tossed with waves: and in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, 26 walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit: and they cried 27 out for fear. But immediately Jesus spake

unto them, saying, Be of good cheer: It 28 is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me 29 come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to 30 Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous,

he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, 31 saying, Lord, save me.† And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, 32 wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they

were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

34 And when they were gone over, they came 35 into the land of Gennesareth. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and 36 brought unto him all that were diseased; and

We often read of Christ's seeking retirement for the purpose of prayer.

A most astonishing miracle. Well might they who saw it, exclaim of a trath, thou art the son of God.

besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

CHAP. XV.

1

Then the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem 2 came to Jesus, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat 3 bread.* But he answered and said unto them,

Why do ye also transgress the commandment 4 of God by your tradition ?+ For God com

manded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, he that revileth father or mother, 5 let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever I have which might be profitable to 6 thee is a gift devoted to God; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your 7 tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah

*The disciples of Jesus disregarded merely the tradition or ceremony of the Jewish Rabbins: But these transgressed even the positive command of God.

+ Our Lord seldom disputed with the Jews. He rather declined occasions for it. But sometimes, as in this case, he showed them the impropriety of their construction of the law, and in the presence of the people, pointed out the evil tendency of their traditions.

Corban signifies a gift devoted to religious use. And the Pharisees taught that a child, who should devote or pretend to devote its gains or property, should be free of all obligation to support its parents.

8 prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is 9 far from me: and in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of

men.

10 And he called the multitude, and said unto 11 them, Hear, and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth 12 a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be 14 rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind

leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead 15 the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter, and said unto him, Explain 16 unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye 17 also yet without understanding? Do not ye

yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out. 18 into the draught? but those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the 19 heart and they defile the man. For out of the

heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blas20 phemies. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands, defileth not a man.*

* In the gospel, there is nothing like superstition; but the most sublime and rational morality.