therefore, whoever heareth these instructions of mine, and puts them in practice, I will compare him to the prudent man, who built his house upon a rock:

but every one that heareth these instructions of mine, and practiseth them not, shall be compared to a fool who built his house upon the sand:

but when the blade was sprung up, and bore grain, the tares appeared too.

and I tell thee likewise, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will hereafter build my church: and death shall not prevail against it.

Hear another parable: a certain landlord planted a vineyard, hedged it round, set up a wine-press in it, and built a tower, then lett it out to tenants, and went into a foreign country.

wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye clean the outside of the cup, and of the plate, but within they are full of rapine and impurity.

thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and plate, that the outside may be likewise clean.

wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the just,

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.

so that you maybe charg'd with all the innocent blood shed upon earth, from the blood of Abel the just, unto the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

for this represents my blood, the blood of the new covenant which is shed for mankind for the remission of sins.

"I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."

I have sinned in betraying the blood of the innocent: and they said, what is it to us? you must look to that.

but the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, it is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

for this reason the field is called the field of blood to this day.

Pilate perceiving he was so far from prevailing, that they were more tumultuous, he took water, and washed his hands before all the people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: you are answerable for it.

at this all the people cry'd out, "his blood be on us, and on our children."

for the earth spontaneously produces, first the blade, then the ear, after that the grain of corn in the ear.

Then Jesus address'd himself to them in this parabolical manner. a certain person planted a vineyard, made a fence about it, clear'd the way for a wine-press, built a tower, and committed it to the care of vine-dressers, while he was travelling abroad.

now when they shall lead you to deliver you up, be not sollicitous about your defence, don't premeditate upon it; but what shall be suggested to you at the very occasion, that deliver: for it is not you that will plead, but the holy spirit.

and he said to them, this represents the effusion of my blood (the sanction of the new covenant) for mankind.

saying, we heard him say, "I will pull down this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands."

then the high priest rising up in the midst of the assembly, ask'd Jesus, saying, have you nothing to plead for your self? what say you to the evidence they give against you?

and breaking up the assembly, they drove him out of the city, to the precipice of the hill, upon which it was built, in order to throw him headlong down.

but he that does not practise what he hears, is like a man who built his house upon the loose earth without any foundation: the current beat impetuously against it: in the instant down it fell, and great were its ruins.

and hath built us a synagogue at his own charge.

who were just departing from him, when Peter said to Jesus, master, it is best for us to stay here: let us build three apartments, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing well what he said.

" so that the blood of all the prophets, which has been shed since the creation of the world, may be required of this generation,

from the blood of Abel to that of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the temple: yes, I assure you, this generation shall be responsible for it all.

this will I do, said he, I will pull down my barns, and build greater: and there I will bestow all my rich product.

At the same time, there were some present, who gave Jesus an account of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

it is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and sowed in his garden: it grew, and became so large, that the birds of the air built their nests in its boughs.

for who of you would resolve to build a tower, without taking the trouble first of all to compute the expence, and whether he is able to finish it?

this man, will they say, began to build, but wanted stock to finish.

and after supper he likewise gave the cup, saying, this cup is the new testament sealed by my blood, which is shed for you.

and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was like grumes of blood falling to the ground.

but Jesus answer'd, I assure you, except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye will have no life in you.

he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and immediately blood and water issued out.

a fact so generally known to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that they called the field in their tongue, Aceldema, that is to say, the field of blood.

and I will shew prodigies in the heavens, and signs on the earth; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.

the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and illustrious day of the Lord shall come.

saying, did not we strictly command you, not to teach in this name? and yet you have spread your doctrine through Jerusalem, and you endeavour to make us responsible for this man's blood.

it was Solomon however that built him a temple.

and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

but Saul was appriz'd of their plot. and as they were night and day upon the watch at the gates, in order to kill him,

"after this I will return and build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down:

that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, from fornication, from animals that are strangled, and from their blood.

that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the flesh of strangled animals, and from fornication: you will do well to preserve your selves from these practices. farewel.

summon'd the company, and thus address'd them, "tho' you know, sirs, it is by this craft that we are in such plight,

be therefore upon your guard to secure your selves, and the whole flock over which the holy spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.

as for the believing Gentiles, we have given them by letter this decision, "they need only take care to abstain from meats offered to idols, from blood, from the flesh of animals strangled, and from fornication."

that I was present, when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, that I abetted the slaughter, and watch'd the clothes of those who slew him.

however, the centurion minded the pilot and the ship's owner more than he did Paul's prediction.

their feet are swift to shed blood.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law: that every one may be silenc'd, and all the world plead guilty before God.

whom God had ordained, thro' faith, to be the propitiatory victim by his blood, for the manifestation of his goodness, by patiently passing over their past transgressions: to manifest,

much more then being now justified by his blood, shall we thro' him be delivered from the wrath to come.

who shall plead against God's elect? shall God who justifieth them?

I have effectually preached the gospel of Christ: yet so as studiously to avoid preaching it where Christ was owned, lest I should build upon another man's foundation; for,

if the work abide which somebody has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

the cup of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

in the same manner he took the cup, after supper, and said, "this cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

so that whosoever eats this bread, and drinks this cup without respect to the Lord, does make a criminal use of the body and blood of the Lord.

who has by his blood obtained for us the redemption, even the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace,

being built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, whereof Jesus Christ himself is the main stone of the angle:

thus fitly qualifying his servants for their respective offices, in order to build up the body of Christ:

stand firm, the belt of truth round your waist, let justice invest you like mail:

and if my blood should serve as a libation to ratify your faith, I should rejoice and congratulate with you all thereupon;

and having made peace by the blood of his cross, to reconcile all things to himself, both those in heaven, and those upon earth.

but let us, who enjoy the light, be temperate; let us be arm'd with the breast-plate of faith and charity, and for an helmet, with the hope of salvation.

discountenance such as hold vain irreligious discourse; for they will grow bold in impiety,

as for me, my blood will soon be pour'd out, and the time of my departure draws nigh:

no house is without a builder; now he that built the whole house of Israel is God.

the high priest only enter'd, and that but once every year, when he carried the blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.

nor with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he enter'd once for all into the holy of holys, after having obtained for us an eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkled on the unclean, can cleanse them from external impurities;

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the holy spirit offered himself a spotless victim to God, purify our souls from deadly sins, to serve the living God?

whence even the first testament was not established without the effusion of blood.

for when every precept of the law had been represented by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, wool of a scarlet dye, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book of the law and all the people,

saying, "this is the blood of the testament which God has made in your behalf."

he sprinkled likewise the tabernacle with blood, and all the vessels used in divine service.

and indeed according to the law almost every thing is purified with blood, without the effusion of which, there is no remission of sins.

nor to make a frequent offering of himself, as the high priest every year enters into the holy of holies with other blood than his own.

And indeed it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats, should take away the guilt of sin.

Wherefore, my brethren, since by virtue of the blood of Jesus we have the liberty of entring into the holy of holies,

don't you think then that he deserves a much greater punishment, who hath despised the son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith be was sanctified, to have been justly shed, thereby offering an indignity to the spirit of grace?

'Twas by faith that Noah being divinely warned of unforeseen events, with a religious concern built an ark to the preservation of his family; whereby the world became inexcusable, and he obtained the reward of that righteousness which is by faith.

through faith he celebrated the passover, and sprinkled blood, that the destroying angel might pass by the first-born.

to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the aspersion of that blood which cries for pardon, and not for vengeance as that of Abel.

than the sacrificers had to eat of the flesh of those beasts, which were burnt without the camp, and whose blood the highpriest carried into the sanctuary.

May the God of peace, who has raised from the dead our Lord Jesus (who by the blood of the eternal covenant is become the grand pastor of

a ship too of the greatest burthen, tho' the wind bears hard, by means of an inconsiderable helm, veers about as the hand of the pilot directs her.

to sanctify them by his spirit, that by their obedience they might be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. may the divine savour make you continually prosper.

but by the precious blood of Christ, who is the lamb without spot, and without blemish:

but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have society one with another, and the blood of his son Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.

it appear'd by the water, and by the blood, who he was, even Jesus the Messiah; not by the water only, but by the water and by the blood: besides, the spirit is a witness too, now the spirit is truth itself.

so that there are three witnesses, the spirit, the water, and the blood: and these three testify the same thing.