Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 36 · Chapter 10
CAP. X.
IT is not yet time to preach these glad tidings of salvation,5 Goe not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any City of the Samaritanes, enter ye not. to the Gentiles; they shall in their season be called, but onwards, do ye confine your paines and preaching, within the bounds of Judea; and do not so much as goe aside into any of the cities of the Samaritans, who though they challenge an affinitie and interest both of blood, and religion, yet for those grosse mixtures of heathenisme, and heresie, and idolatry, which they have entertained, are not worthy to be so farre respected by me, as to be priviledged with this my first mission unto them.
But goe ye rather to those my peculiar,6 But goe ye rather to the lost sheepe. and selected people of Israel, who are (as it were) lost in their owne infidelity, and disobedience, and labour to reclaime them.
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brasse in in your purses,Make no provision of money for the charge for your journey; as if ye should labour, and travell upon your owne cost.
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shooes, nor yet staves: for the workeman is worthy of his meat:Neither carry with you provision of victuals, neither take with you change of suits; whether of coats for your backes, or of shooes for your feet, or of staves for your hand, but content your selves with what you have then about you; and if any of these should faile you, in your way, they shall be supplyed unto you, by those among whom ye bestow your paines, for the workman is worthy of his maintenance, whithersoever he goes.
11 And into whatsoever city or towne ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye goe thence:When yee enter into a city, or towne, inquire who may bee the fittest host for you, and most worthy (through his good report, to be graced by your presence; and when yee have pitched in any house, do not change your lodging, whiles ye remaine in that city, that ye may not seeme inconstant, or delicate, and may by this meanes give discontent to your first host.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, then let your peace returne to you.And if the house be worthy, let that blessing which your prayers have wished thereunto, fall upon it; but if it be not worthy, those well-wishes of yours shall return backe into your owne bosomes.
Shake off the dust of your feet, to signifie unto them that yee do not meane to have ought to do with them,15 Shake off the dust of your feet. and to let them see that their contempt of my message hath made them so odious to God, that the very dust of their streets, is a kinde of pollution to the feete of those that tread upon it.
17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the Councels, and they will scourge you in their Synogogues.They are wolves and not men, amongst whom I must send you; take heed therefore of these wolvish men, for they will persecute you for your message sake, and deliver you up, as offenders, into the hands of authority, and scourge you in their assemblies.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought, how or what ye shall speake.When they deliver you up to their rulers, be not yee too fearefully solicitous what answers yee shall give; neither do herein trust too much to your owne wit, and dexterity of replying; but know that the spirit of God shall be present with you, and shall put answers into your mouth &c.
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.It is not enough for you, that ye have in one city indured persecution, but when ye have suffered there, ye must betake your selves to another city. For verily I say unto you, all the cities of Israel must have this Gospell of mine, preached unto them by you, but ere ye can have gone through them all, I the Messiah who send you, will personally second you in this mission of mine; and make manifest to the world my power and kingdome.
I am the great master of the familie, my Church:25 If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? yee are my servants, and attendants therein, if they have not stucke to cast reproaches upon mee your master, in so high a degree, as to call me a devill; how much lesse do ye thinke will they spare you of my household?26 Feare them not therefore: for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be knowne.
Feare them not therefore: neither be discouraged with the obscurenesse of this errand of the Gospell which I do now commit unto you; for, howsoever it be now onelyonly preached in corners, in some little parcell of the world, it shall spread forth to all the utmost coasts of the earth; and howsoever the despightfull world do now load you with slaunders, and unjust reproches, yet the day shall come, wherein your innocence and their malice shall be openly manifested unto all the world.
Be not therefore afraid to publish this message of mine; What I deliver to you in private, speake ye openly;27 What I tell you in darkenesse, that speake yee in light: and what ye heare in the eare, that preach yee upon the house tops. and what I speake to you alone, do yee proclaime it aloud from those places whence your voice may be best heard.
Let the tyrants of the world threat what they please;29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. they cannot do ought against you, but what is limited by my providence: even the meanest of all the creatures are not exempted from the care and over-ruling power thereof: what bird is more cheap, and worthlesse than a sparrow, whereof two are sold for a farthing? and yet the eye of divine providence is so over them, that nothing can befall to one of them, but what your Father in heaven hath predetermined.
But for you,30 But the very haires of your head are all numbred. so pretious is your life in the sight of God, that every thing that pertaines unto you, even the very haires of your head, is regarded by him; so as your enemies cannot touch one of those haires without the allowance of the Almighty.
You are mistaken,34 Thinke not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. if ye thinke that upon the comming of the Messiah, there shall be nothing but outward peace in the world; no, make account rather of the contrary, for it will fall out, through the corruption of mans nature, that he shall take occasion from the Gospell to be moved to unquietnesse, both in himselfe, and with others; and Satan, the common enemie of mankinde, being enraged with the publication thereof, shall stirre up broyles and oppositions against it: so as not peace, but warre and contention will (through the wickednes of devils and men) follow upon the preaching of this Gospell of peace.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father.For it will follow upon my comming (as if it had been a thing intended by mee therein) that the sonne hating and persecuting my truth, will make head against the father, which imbraceth and professeth it, &c.
39 Hee that findeth his life shall lose it.Hee that makes so dainty of his life, as that, (when he is thereto called) he will not expose it to danger, or losse, for my names sake, shall be sure to loose it everlastingly.