as he passed along, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus, sitting at the custom-house, and said to him, follow me. accordingly he arose and followed him.

at length as Jesus sat at table in Levi's house, several publicans and loose people sat down likewise in company with Jesus, and his disciples: for a good number of them had followed him.

and he ask'd them, is it allowed to do good, or to do mischief on the sabbath-days? to save life, or to kill? but they were very silent.

upon this the Pharisees withdrew, and immediately enter'd into a conspiracy with the Herodians to take away his life.

but the cares of this life, the deceitful love of riches, and a crowd of different passions, stifle the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

and earnestly intreated him, saying, "my little daughter is at the last extremity, pray come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed, and live."

which Herodias resented, and form'd a design against his life, but could not execute it;

Now the disciples had forgot to take bread, and had but one loaf aboard with them.

for he that would save his life, shall lose it; and he that would lose his life out of love to me and the gospel, he shall save it.

what advantage is it for a man to gain the whole world with the loss of his life?

it has frequently thrown him into the fire, and into the water, to the hazard of his life; if therefore you can do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

if even thy hand should make thee transgress, saw it off, and cast it away, it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than to have both hands and go into Gehenna, the unextinguishable fire:

and if thy foot make thee transgress, saw it off, it is better for you to enter into life, tho' lame, than to have both feet, and be thrown into Gehenna, the unextinguishable fire:

When he was set out upon his journey, there met him one, who kneeling down before him, said, good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus answered him, I declare unto you, there is not a man who has forsaken his house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, out of love to me and to the gospel,

but shall receive at present in this age, what will be a hundred times better to him, than houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, tho' with persecution: and in the age to come eternal life.

for the son of man himself is not come to receive the services of men, but to do them service, and to lay down his life a ransom for many.

you shall therefore love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, to the utmost of your understanding, and all your faculties." this is the first commandment.

and the second, which has an affinity to it, is this: "you shall love your neighbour as yourself." there is no other commandment greater than these.

and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, with all its faculties, and to love one's neighbour as one's self is more acceptable than all the offerings and sacrifices in the world.