Sodom pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters; neither, &c.Ezek. xvi. 40; Matt. xx. 3. 6.

Ye yourselves, know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts xx. 33-35; xviii. 1-3; 2 Thess. iii. 7-10.

Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.-Eph. iv. 28.

That ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.-1 Thess. iv. 11.

We commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear there are some among you which walk disorderly, working not at all, &c. We command, &c. that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.2 Thess. iii. 10-12.

Withal, they learn to be idle ; wandering about from house to house. -1 Tim. v. 13.

That they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works, (or honest trades ;) these things are good and profitable unto men, &c. and let ours also learn to maintain good works (or profess honest trades) for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. - Titus iii. 8. 14.

CHAPTER LIII.

GOD'S WAY OF DECLARING HIS MIND OF OLD, BY VOICES, DREAMS, AND VISIONS.

THE Lord spake to Adam, to Cain, Noah, &c. - Gen. ii. 16, 17; iii. 8, &c.; iv. 6, 7. 9-16; vi. 13, &c.; vii. 1, &c.; ix; xii. 1-3.

After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, &c.-Gen. xv. 1, &c.

God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man: for the woman which thou hast taken, &c. God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, &c.-—Gen. xx. 3--7.

Jacob dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, &c. The Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, &c. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.— Gen. xxviii. 12, 13.

And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob, &c. I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee : I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me, &c. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.-Gen. xxxi. 11-13. 24.

Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren, &c. And he dreamed yet another dream, &c.Gen. xxxvii. 5—9; xlii. 6; xliii. 26. 28; xliv. 14; 1. 18.

The dreams of the butler and baker of Pharaoh, in the prison; and of Pharaoh himself, interpreted by Joseph.-Gen. xl; xli.

God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob, &c. I am the God of thy father; fear not to go down into Egypt, &c. -Gen. xlvi. 1–5.

God called to Moses out of the burning bush.-Exod. iii.

Moses went up unto God: and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, &c. Moses spake: and God answered him by a voice, &c. And the Lord said unto

For the vision is yet for an ap

22. 24.

If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision.-Numb. xii. 6.

He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open. -Numb. xxiv. 4. 16.

The Lord spake to Samuel, by voice, or word.-1 Sam. iii. 4. 10, 11. 21.

17.

To Nathan, by vision.-2 Sam. vii.

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.-1 Kings iii. 5-7; ix. 2.

The Lord answered not Saul, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.-1 Sam. xxviii. 6. 15.

God speaketh once, yea, twice; yet man perceiveth it not: in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.-Job xxxiii. 14-16.

Thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty.-Ps. lxxxix. 19.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which Daniel expounded.-Dan. ii; iv. Belshazzar's vision of the writing against the wall.-Dan. v. 5. 25.

Daniel's vision of the beast, &c. Dan. vii.

Of the man clothed in linen. Dan. x. 5, &c.

Of other things.-Dan. vii; viii; x. I have also spoken by the prophets; and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.-Hosea xii. 10.

I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.-Joel ii. 28; Acts ii. 16, 17.

speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.-Hab. ii. 3.

Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.— Matt. i. 20.

And being warned of God in dream, that they should not " unto Herod, &c. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child, &c.-Matt. ii. 13. 19. 22.

Pilate's wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.-Matt. xxvii. 19.

Saul saw a vision, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? &c. A certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, &c. Arise and go, &c.Acts ix. 1-11; xxii. 6, &c.; xxvi. 13, &c.

Cornelius saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying, Cornelius, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Peter also had a vision; and God spake to him, &c. -Acts x. 3, 4. 9—15. 28. 30, &c.; xi. 5.

A vision appeared to Paul in the night there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over unto Macedonia, and help us; and after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go: assuredly gathering, that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.-Acts xvi. 9, 10.

Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night, by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, &c. for I am with thee.— Acts xviii. 9.

It is not expedient for me, doubt

CHAPTER LIV.

THE CALL AND COMMISSION OF THE
APOSTLES EQUAL.

JESUS, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, &c. He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, &c. and he called them, and they immediately left the ship, and their father, and followed him.-Matt. iv. 18-22; Mark i. 16-20.

One is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren, &c. whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased. Matt. xxiii. 8. 11, 12.

As Jesus passed forth, he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith unto him, Follow me: and he arose and followed him.-Matt. ix. 9; Mark ii. 14; Luke v. 27, 28.

Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.-Matt. xviii. 18.

He ordained twelve: that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils and Simon he surnamed Peter, and James the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James, &c. and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite, and Judas.-Mark iii. 14-19.

By the way they had disputed

James and John, &c. said, Grant unto us that we may sit one on thy right hand, &c. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John: but Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles, exercise lordship over them, &c. but so it shall not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister; and whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all: for even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, &c.-Mark x. 35-38. 41-44; Luke xxii. 24-27.

He called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles: Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother: James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James, the son of Alpheus, and Simon, called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot. Luke vi. 13-16.

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases and he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick and he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, &c.-Luke ix. 1-5.

When Jesus had washed his disciples' feet, he said, I have given you an example, that ye ought to wash one another's feet: now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake, &c.-John xiii. 13— 15. 22-25; xix. 26, 27; xx. 2; xxi. 7. 20-22.

Jesus came, &c. and said, Peace be

unto you as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you: and when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.-John xx. 19-23.

To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: if I forgave, &c. for your sakes forgave I it in the person (or sight) of Christ.-2 Cor. ii. 10.

The twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, &c. Look ye out among you seven men, of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business: but we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word, &c. whom they set before the apostles and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.-Acts vi. 2-6.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John; who, when they were come down, prayed for them.-Acts viii. 14, 15.

The believing Jews dispute with Peter for going to the Gentiles; and he gives them an account of God's work upon them.-Acts xi. 2, &c.

I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.-Rom. xi. 13, 14.

For I suppose I was not a whit behind (or in nothing inferior to) the very chiefest apostles, &c. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more: in labours more abundant, &c. besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.-2 Cor. xi. 5. 23. 28; 1 Cor. xv. 10.

I knew a man in Christ, &c. such an one caught up to the third heaven, &c. into Paradise, heard unspeakable words, &c. I ought to have been commended of you; for in nothing

am I behind (or any way inferior to) the very chiefest apostles, &c.-2 Cor. xii. 2-4. 11.

When it pleased God, &c. to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, &c. Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days; but other of the apostles saw I none, save James, the Lord's brother.-Gal. i. 15—19.

When they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter, (for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) and when James, Cephas, and John, (who seemed to be pillars,) perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision, &c. but when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed: for before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision, &c. but when I saw that they walked not uprightly, &c. I said unto Peter, before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?-Gal. ii. 7—9. 11— 14.

I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. -2 Tim. i. 11.

CHAPTER LV.

OF THE RESTORATION AND RETURN OF ISRAEL FROM THE COUNTRIES INTO

WHICH THEY ARE SCATTERED.

AND it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee; and thou shalt call them to mind, among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, &c. that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return, and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee if any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, &c. and bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it, &c. and the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, &c.-Deut. xxx. 1-6.

The Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left, &c. Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, &c. and he will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.— Deut. xxxii. 36. 43.

O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.-Ps. xiv. 7.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established (or prepared) in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up, &c. for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.-Isa. ii. 2, 3.

And it shall come to pass in that

day, that the remnant of Israel, &c. shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth: the remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God: for though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea; yet a remnant of them shall return, &c.-Isa. x. 20-23.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, &c. and from the islands of the sea: and he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth.-Isa. xi. 11, 12.

The Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land, &c.-Isa. xiv. 1-3. 32.

He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit, &c. ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel, &c. And they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.-Isa. xxvii. 6. 12, 13.

Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed: neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken: but there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers.—Isa. xxxiii. 20, &c.

Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you, &c. for the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord: joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.-Isa. li. 2, 3; lii. 1-4;