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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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•sm1i.74«; allowed, if only it were done in secret,<br />

so as not to pr<strong>of</strong>ime <strong>the</strong> Name S?^ ^ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord—<br />

^than which death was infinitely preferable.'<br />

Christ, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, not only ignored this<br />

vicious Jewish distinction <strong>of</strong> public <strong>and</strong> private as<br />

r^farded morality, but bade His followers set aside<br />

all regard for personal safety, even in reference to<br />

<strong>the</strong> duty <strong>of</strong> preaching <strong>the</strong> Gk)6peL <strong>The</strong>re was a<br />

higher fear than <strong>of</strong> men: that <strong>of</strong> God—<strong>and</strong> it should<br />

drive out <strong>the</strong> fear d those who could only kill <strong>the</strong><br />

body. Besides, why fear? God's Providence<br />

extended even over <strong>the</strong> meanest <strong>of</strong> His creatures.<br />

Two sparrows cost only an oMarion ('iD^K)y<br />

about <strong>the</strong> third <strong>of</strong> a penny.' Tet even one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m<br />

would not perish without <strong>the</strong> knowledge <strong>of</strong> God.<br />

No illustration was nuxre familiar to <strong>the</strong> Jewish<br />

mind than that <strong>of</strong> His watchful care even over <strong>the</strong><br />

sparrows. <strong>The</strong> beautiful allusion in Amos iii. 5<br />

was somewhat realistically carried out in a legend<br />

which occurs in more than one Rabbinic passage.<br />

We are told that, after that great miracle-worker <strong>of</strong><br />

Jewish legend, B. Simeon ben Jochai, had been for<br />

thirteen years in hiding from his persecutors in a

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