The History of the life of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

saying, arise, take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who attempted the life of the infant are dead.

but Jesus answered him, It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every thing that God shall prescribe."

You have heard that it hath been said, "you shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy:"

but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who traduce you, and persecute you:

but if you love only them who love you, what reward can ye have? do not the heathens themselves do as much?

no man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will be attach'd to the one, and neglectful of the other. ye cannot serve God and Mamon.

I therefore direct you, not to be sollicitous, with regard to life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor with regard to the body, what clothes ye shall wear: Is not life it self a greater gift than food; and the body a greater gift than rayment?

but the gate which leads to life is narrow, and the way is difficult, and few there be that find it.

Whilst he thus entertain'd them, the ruler of the synagogue came and made his address to him, saying, my daughter is upon the point of death: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? yet not one of them shall lose its life independently of your father,

he that would preserve his life, shall lose it: and he that exposeth his life for my sake, shall save it.

Upon this the Pharisees went out of the synagogue, and form'd a conspiracy against his life.

he that is meant by the thorny ground, where other seed fell, is one that heareth the word: which by cares of this life, and the deceitful love of riches, is soon stifled, and becomes unfruitful:

and his sisters, don't they live just by us? how came he then by all this?

what advantage is it to a man to gain the whole world at the price of his life? or what would not a man pay down to preserve his life?

wherefore if thy hand or thy foot occasions thee to relapse, lop them off, and cast them away: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.

and if thine eye occasions thee to relapse, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two to be cast into hell-fire.

I assure you, that if two of you shall live in agreement together, whatever they ask shall be granted to them by my heavenly father.

but he reply'd, 'tis not everyman can live single, but only such as have the gift of continency.

Immediately one came near him, saying, good master, what good shall I do, to obtain eternal life?

and he said to him, why do you stile me good? there is but one that is good, that is God. but if you would enter into life, keep the commandments.

honour thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

and every one that abandons his family, his brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake, shall receive in that age an hundred times the value, and shall inherit hereafter everlasting life.

as the son of man came not to be ministred unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for all.

About that time the Sadducees, who say there is no future life, came and propos'd this question,

now if there be another life after this, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all married her.

for in the other life after this, there will be no such thing as marriage; but they will be as the angels of God in heaven.

now as to the state of life after death, have ye not read that expression of God himself,

Jesus said to him, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

and the second has an affinity with it, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self."

and say, if we had liv'd in the time of our forefathers, we would not have been accessory with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.

and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

and consulted how to seize Jesus by surprize, and take away his life.

but Peter said, though it should cost me my life, I never will disown you. and so said all the disciples.

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.

There was likewise one Anna a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was of a great age, and had liv'd in a married state but seven years ever since she was a virgin:

son of Heli, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Janna, son of Joseph,

son of Jose, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Simeon,

but Jesus answered him, it is written, "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every thing that God appoints."

After this Jesus left the place, and seeing a publican named Levi, sitting at the custom-house, he said to him, follow me.

Levi having prepared a handsom entertainment in his own house for him, a great number of publicans, and others, were likewise at table.

then said Jesus to them, I will ask you one question, which is the most allowable on the sabbath-day, to do good, or to neglect it? to save a man's life, or to let him perish?

But as for you, who hear me, love your enemies: do good to those, who hate you: bless those, who curse you:

for if you only love those, who love you, where's the obligation? the very heathen return love for love.

but as for you, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting any advantage from it: so shall your reward be great, in acting like the children of the most high: for he is kind to the most ungrateful wretches.

when a woman of that city, one that had led a loose life, knowing that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house, came in with a vial of odoriferous liquor,

having not wherewithal to pay it, he freely discharged them both of the debt. tell me now, which of the two will love him most?

wherefore, I tell you, her sins, which are numerous, are forgiven; and that is the reason of all this love: but his love is less, to whom less is forgiven.

the ground over-run with thorns denotes such as have embraced the doctrine, but are so immerst in the business, enjoyments, and pleasures of life, as not to improve it to any real advantage.

immediately she came to life, and rose up: and he order'd, that something should be given her to eat.

and others, that one of the old prophets was come to life again.

for whoever would save his life, shall lose it: and he that would lose his life, out of love to me, shall save it.

Then a doctor of the law stood up to try him, saying, master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

he replied, 'tis thus, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy understanding; and thy neighbour as thy self."

you have answered well, replied Jesus, do this, and you shall live.

then he said to them, take care to be clear of all avarice: for the enjoyment of life does not depend upon the having large possessions.

Wherefore (said he to his disciples,) be not sollicitous for your life, what ye shall eat; nor for the body, what ye shall put on.

the life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

but which of you, with all his disquietude, can add one moment to the period of his life?

At the same time, some of the Pharisees came to him, and said, get away, retire from hence, for Herod designs to take away your life.

and said, he that can't abandon his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, nay, even his own life, cannot be my disciple.

for he would have been contented to have liv'd upon the carruways, with which they usually fed the swine: but nobody would supply him.

for this son of mine was dead, and is come to life: he was lost, and is found again. and then they began their feast.

he that seeks to save his life, will expose it; and he that exposes his life, will preserve it.

Then a person of distinction ask'd him this question, good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

who shall not receive abundantly more even in this age, and everlasting life in the age to come.

and he instructed the people daily in the temple, while the chief priests, the Scribes, and the rulers of the people, were contriving to take away his life.

Jesus answered, in this life men and women marry.

but they, who shall be accounted worthy to obtain the resurrection to an eternal life, shall have no concern in marriage, as being immortal:

set a guard upon yourselves, that ye be not stupified by surfeiting and drunkenness, or by the disquietudes of this life, and so that day come upon you with a surprize.

the Life was produc'd in him, and the Life was the Light of men.

that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.

for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.

he that believeth on the son, hath a right to everlasting life: and he that disobeys the son, shall not enjoy life; but be expos'd to divine wrath.

but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst: for the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a fountain springing up to everlasting life.

he that reapeth, receiveth wages, by gathering fruit unto life eternal: that the sower, and the reaper, may both rejoice together.

for as the father raiseth up the dead, and restores them to life: even so the son gives life to whom he will.

I declare unto you, he that heareth my doctrine, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come under condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

I declare unto you, the time is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God: and they that hear shall live.

for as the father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the son, to have life in himself;