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CHRIST valueth the poor Widow's two Mites above all the gifts of the Rich; He foretelleth the Destruction of the Temple; sheweth what Signs and Calamities should go before, and what should happen, at the Time of his coming; He delivers the Parable of the ten Virgins; and of the Talents, which a King distributed among his Servants, to be improved by them; aud in a third Parable, delivered at the same time, he gives a description of the last Judgment. 405 CHRIST again foretelleth his own Death; The Rulers conspire against him; A Woman poureth precious Ointment upon his head; Judas covenanteth with the Council to betray his Master for thirty, pieces of Silver; Peter and John sent to prepare the Passover; Christ eateth it with them, and washeth his Disciples' Feet; He comforteth them with the Promise of a heavenly Mansion; He professeth himself the Way, the Truth and the Life; He foretelleth the Treachery of Judas, and pointeth him out to John by a token. 434 Our Saviour institutes the Sacrament of his Supper; He checketh the ambitious strife of his disciples, and promiseth them a share in his Kingdom; He telleth Peter of Satan's desire to sift him, but that his faith should be supported; and yet he should thrice deny him; He adviseth his Disci- ples to provide Necessaries, and to arm themselves against the Day of Trial; He promiseth them Power to do greater works than his own, and the Grant of all that they should ask in his name; He requireth their Obedience as a proof of their Love, and giveth them a Promise of the Comforter, the Holy Ghost. Under the Parable of the Vine, Christ setteth forth God's Government of his Church, and exhort- eth his Disciples to abide in his Faith and Doctrine: He commandeth them to love one another, according to the great Love he had shown for them; and warneth them of their Sufferings for his sake; he comforteth them by a pro- mise of the Holy Ghost: He intimateth his Death, Resur- rection, and Ascension; His Disciples confess their faith in him; he foretelleth their Desertion of him, and promiseth them Peace in him amidst their Tribulation in the World; He prayeth to his Father to glorify him; and to preserve his Apostles in Unity of Faith, and from all Evil; and to sanctify them with the Word of Truth; and for the perfect THE NEW AND COMPLETE LIFE OF OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST : CONTAINING The most authentic and full account of all the wonderful TRANSACTIONS, SUFFERINGS, AND DEATH OF OUR GLORIOUS REDEEMER: WITH THE LIVES, ACTS, AND SUFFERINGS, OF HIS HOLY APOSTLES, EVANGELISTS, DISCIPLES, &C. INCLUDING THE LIVES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE VIRGIN MARY AND MANY OTHER ENINENT PERSONS AND PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS, NOT TO BE FOUND IN ANY OTHER WORK OF THIS KIND. CHAPTER I. Concerning the State of Religion, &c. in the World in General, and in the Roman Empire and the Jewish Nation in particular, at the Time of our REDEEMER'S Birth. Including an Account of the various Sects amongst the Jews, and other particulars, by way of Introduction. IT is generally acknowledged, by the most learned and judicious chronologers, that the GREAT REDEEMER was born in the four thousandth year after the creation of the world, and four years before the vulgar ara. This mistake is supposed to have arisen from the B low state of learning, when the birth of CHRIST was first fixed as the epocha from which the whole Christian world reckoned their time. This being upwards of five hundred years after the birth of CHRIST, and there being no authentic records, to fix the time with exactness and precision, a mistake of four years was at first made, and hath been ever since continued. The year in which the SAVIOUR of the world was born, was the thirty-third of Herod, king of the Jews, after his taking Jerusalem; and the twenty-sixth of the emperor Augustus, after the victory of Actium; which, concluding the contest between him and Mark Anthony, put him in possession of the whole Roman empire. It was now about seven hundred and fifty years since the building of Rome. The Romans had carried their victorious arms through the surrounding nations, and by their justice, clemency, and moderation risen to the highest pitch of glory and renown: but by the pride, luxury, and frequent quarrels of their great men, the empire was sinking from its ancient greatness; the commonwealth was at an end; and the senate had been forced to submit to a master. Though the state had made a violent struggle for liberty, in the murder of Julius Cæsar, great quarrels succeeded, and the whole empire was subjected to the authority of Augustus. This was a prince of a very amiable disposition: he, by his wise management, put an end to all contention, and governed the empire with such justice, prudence, and moderation, as made him highly esteemed by his subjects. He not only settled the affairs of the state so as to preserve all things quiet at home, but had the like success throughout the remoter parts of the vast. empire for a general peace prevailed through all the world, when our Great Redeemer, the heavenly Prince of peace, was born. The Jewish nation was at this time groaning under the tyranny of Herod the Great; who, though an old man, declining in his health, and just bordering on the |