e said, Lord, I am not worthy | Come, and he cometh; and to that thou shouldest come under my servant, Do this, and he my roof: but speak the word doeth it. only, f and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, e Ps.10.17. Lu.15.19,21. ƒPs.33.9; 107.20. diness to bless. It displayed also His conscious Omnipotence, who at His will could heal and save. Christ has now come to Christ we may apply. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith,s no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, that h g c.15.23. hIs. 2.2,3. Lu.13.29. Ac.11.18. Ep.3.6. Re.7.9. 10. He marvelled. He expressed astonishment or admiration. It was a remarkable instance of one not a Jew, showing the strongest confidence in 8. This gracious language of our Christ's ability. It was more signal Lord was humbling to the Centurion. and illustrious than any instance He had great faith, for he could be- among the nominal Israel. His faith lieve in Christ's ability to heal by a was probably of a saving nature. word, and now he felt the grace of And this is the first case of converChrist expressed to him. And this sion on record among the Gentiles. faith affected his views of himself; We learn that while the Jews thought for he began to feel how unworthy this man worthy (as we find in Luke he was to have his house honoured 7. 4), on account of his good deeds, with Christ's presence. Such is the Christ judged of him by his faith and result of genuine faith upon our esti-humility. A sense of unworthiness mates of self, producing the deepest hu- should never keep us back from mility. So Job (42. 6), “I have heard Christ, and will not, if we have right of Thee," &c. Others said he was views of Him; we shall cast ourselves worthy (Luke 7. 4), but he himself on His sovereign ability the more we thought he was not. Christ's offers distrust ourselves. "I am not worthy, of love abase him and overcome him. but Thou canst perform by a word." He feels that this love is too much, Parents and householders who have and casts himself upon Divine power. heard of Christ, ought to seek His 9. I am a man under authority," blessings on their families and ser&c. I am a man of subordinate rank, vants. And as all disease and disand yet can order my soldiers who tresses are at the command of God, obey me at a word. But Thou, who we ought to mark in all our lot His art Supreme, canst command even providence, and cast all our cares diseases and they shall obey Thee. submissively on Him. We should "What manner of man is this, that adore the sovereignty of His will, and even the winds and the sea obey in all our prayers should say, "Thy Him?" Being under authority, he knew will be done.". ¶ In Israel-among also what it was to be commanded the Israelites or Jews. Jacob was and to obey with strict military pre- called Israel (see Gen. 32. 28), meancision and promptness. He had ex- ing Prince of God, because in prayer perience of this in both ways, and he he prevailed with God. And so his saw that Christ had absolute author- descendants are called Israel and Isity over disease. How blessed to raelites, after this patriarch of the have Christ's word enough for us, to Jews. fly to the power of it, and have it carry Divine authority for our salvation. 11. Many shall come. That the Centurion was a true believer, and had saving faith, and that he was the many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven : 12 But the children of the kingdom i shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. i c.7.22,23. j c.13.42,50. first instance of conversion among the Gentiles, would appear from this declaration of our Lord. This case should not be alone. The Gentiles should yet be converted in large numbers, from the east and west and from all quarters of the globe. Isa. 45. 6 ; 59. 19.¶ Shall sit down with as at a meal. This is the sense of the word. The benefits of the Gospel were commonly represented by the provisions of a feast. Matt. 26. 29. Luke 14. 15. And this would naturally conciliate the Jew to the Gospel, that it would bring him into happy communion with the patriarchs of his ancient religion. 12. The children. The child of any thing is a phrase in Hebrew, expressing the special property which such an one has in the thing specified. So in Greek, as in Luke 10. 6, "The Son of Peace." So children of disobedience (Ephesians 2. 2). Here those are meant who have special property in the kingdom, i. e. the Jews, to whom it naturally belonged (Rom. 9. 4), and to whom the kingdom had come by hereditary descent, through their fathers. To them "pertained the adoption," &c. They were born into it, and to them it specially belonged by natural associations, and they were related to it by outward covenant. So the baptized children are now called "the children of the church." In Acts 3. 25, the Apostle says to the Jews, "Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers," &c. -¶ Outer darkness. As Abraham and others are represented as sitting down to a 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour. 14 TAnd when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his brilliant feast, splendidly lighted at night, so those who are excluded are described as being thrust out in the midnight darkness, which reigned outside. They were to have the very opposite portion. So the rich man is described as lifting up his eyes in torment and calling upon Abraham in heaven. Darkness is the scriptural image of perdition. It signifies the confinement and distress of a dungeon, the shutting out of cheerful light from the soul, and the shutting up of souls to all the deprivation and despondency and despair of the blackness of darkness forever. There shall be sorrow and torment there which words are unable to portray. See ch. 13. 42, 50. Luke 13. 28. Acts. 7. 54. This is 13. As thou hast believed. According to his faith was his success. the Gospel rule-not on this ground, but in this measure. The healing was performed at once, and his faith was doubtless strong as the grace was signal, and the result sublime. Faith is the measure not the merit (Ps. 33. 22). "Let Thy mercy O Lord be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.' This narrative differs somewhat from that of Luke, but only as the different Evangelists naturally dwelt upon different points or narrated different features of the transactions. [31. THE HEALING OF PETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER, AND MANY OTHERS.— Capernaum.] Matt. 8. 14-17 Mark. Luke. Jolin. Here Matthew brings in another event without regard to the order. This miracle occurred, as we learn from wife's mother laid, and sick of and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick : a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: k Mar.1.30,31. Lu.4.38,39. / Mar.1.32,&c. 1 Mark and Luke, just after Christ had called Simon and Andrew. Mark's narrative of it leads us to infer that it was on the Sabbath day, immediately after coming out of the synagogue, where a demoniac had been healed. See ý 30 of the Harmony. Also that it was at the house of Simon Peter and Andrew his brother, whom He had lately called. "Anon they tell Him of her." Blunt notices a coincidence in proof of the veracity of the Gospels, that Matthew and Paul both speak of Peter as married (1 Cor. 9.5). From this raising of Peter's wife's mother, it is incidentally signified that Peter had a wife, which Paul's statements corroborate. OBSERVE, The Papists claim that Peter is the head of their church, and yet they forbid the clergy to marry. How could he be a Bishop or Pope if he was married? Or how can they forbid marriage. if he was their head and married? How inconsistent is such a system with the Scriptures! They who give heed to the doctrine of devils forbid to marry. 1 Tim. 4. 1-3. And in making out testimony of a miracle, would it have been related of a person who did live or had lived (Peter's wife's mother) if there was intent to deceive? The miracle here consisted in Christ's healing by a touch, for a miracle is a supernatural work, a suspension or contradiction of nature's laws. It is a wonderful result effected by a power that is utterly beyond that of man. This healing by a touch is a Divine operation, because it is not in the power of man, nor is it according to the constitution and course of nature. No OB 16. When the even was come. This being on the Sabbath, which they kept from evening to evening-the Jews awaited this time when the sacred day was ended, to bring their sick (Luke 13. 14). Or they might have come after sunset, because the heat of the day would have proved too oppressive to the infirm. SERVE, This showed the fame He had acquired among the people and their faith in His healing power. Sc His fame should spread in the case of every conversion, that many may be induced to apply. "He healed all that were sick.' This illustrates His abundant grace. abundant grace. How compassionate and kind to sinners. Who need fear to apply? "Come unto me all." "For every one that asketh receiveth." His word has healing power. 17. That it might be fulfilled. Isa 53. 4.- T Himself. Christ Himself. Matthew, writing for the Jews, aims to connect Christ's doings with their own inspired prophecies, and so to identify Him to them as their Messiah. "He that put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," and "bore our sins in His own body on the tree," undertook to put away all the fruits of sin. This is the connection of His healing with His atonement. aimed to remove the curse and restore the ruin of the fall. He took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses, taking the curse and bearing the condemnation of our sin "in his own He 18 ¶ Now when Jesus | he gave commandment to desaw great multitudes about him, part unto the other side. α medial work for sinners, and the hearty interest He has taken in the redemption of men. In undertaking our salvation He took our load of woes man of sorrows. The contemplation of our woes was a living pang to Him-Christ's rule in healing seems to have been to cure applicants and such as He met, where it was asked for. This was in accordance with His redeeming plan: "for ev body,” even in numberless physical sufferings. It may be expressed more generally, "He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. This Hebrew clause in Isaiah is precisely rendered by the Greek in Matthew here. He took a large share of human woes of every kind, sympathized in the suffering, and provided for the cure. His atoning plan provides as well for the body as the soul. The old versions read, "He took on Him our sick-ery one that asketh receiveth." OBnesses," &c. We can suppose that He was a man of pain and ailment in the flesh, so far as would not interfere with His active labours. We know not how He was at Nazareth, the greater portion of His life; but there is authority for saying He " was without form or comeliness." "His countenance was marred more than the sons of men." In the Jewish Talmud is this striking passage: "What is the name of the Messiah? Some say Leprous. According is that 'surely he hath borne our sicknesses,' &c., and Messiah sitteth in the gate of the city. And by what sign may he be known? He sitteth among the diseased and poor." It is also said in the Zohar, "That all the diseases, griefs and punishments due to Israel shall be borne by Him." His taking our nature and taking such active part in relieving our woes, is not mere human sympathy, but belongs to His mediatorial work. This lively feeling for our sicknesses, and this prompt and effectual cure of all that were brought, show the reality of His re SERVE, The worst cases He can cure as well as any even the possessed with devils, along with the sick. Our relatives we should bring | to Christ's attention. We may go to Him for ailments of the flesh, and for woes of the spirit, for it is His part to cure them both. His control over diseases should satisfy men of His higher work and of all His Divine claims. NOTE, That between verses 17 and 18, there intervene, in the proper order of the history, 3 chapters of events, as recorded in the 11th, 12th and 13th chapters. This crossing the lake (vs. 18), was after a second circuit in Galilee, and after speaking the several parables near Capernaum. (See the Harmony.) In ch. 13. 1, we find our Lord seating Himself by the sea-side, giving instructions," and great multitudes were gathered together unto Him," &c. (vs. 2). This explains His giving order here (ch. 8. 18), "to depari unto the other side," on account of the multitudes. 19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I" will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. n Lu.9.57,58. 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Matt. Mark. Luke. John. § 48. The healing of a Demoniac. The Galilee. § 54. Parable of the Sower. Lake of Gali lee, near Capernaum? § 55. Parable of the Tares. Other parables. Near Capernaum? . § 56. JESUS DIRECTS TO CROSS THE LAKE. Incidents.-The Tempest stilled. Lake of Galilee. 18. Great multitudes. They came to Christ in crowds, having heard of his healing powers. Some came from curiosity; others came to be healed, or to bring their sick for His cure. He was now at the Lake of Galilee, at or near Capernaum, which was at the north-west coast of the lake or sea. He wished to go to the other side. OBSERVE, the train of intermediate events. The incident does not connect immediately with the previous verses. He wished to go to the other side of the lake; accordingly we find Him next at Gadara, on the opposite or south-east side (see vs. 28-34). He proposed this movement, not to get rid of applicants, but to avoid the suspicion of fomenting disturbance. He also loved to withdraw when He had accomplished His work. 19. A certain scribe. A scribe was a writer and teacher of the law; i. e., a Jewish lawyer. He came He doubtless, as the reply would intimate, from interested and mistaken motives; from worldly ambition or, like 17-23 11, 16 12.46-50 3. 31-358. 19-21 11.37-54 12. 1-59 13. 1-9 13. 1-23 4 1-25 8. 4-18 13.24-53 4. 26–34 8. 18-27 4. 35-418. 22-25 others, for the loaves and fishes of the 20. Our Lord meant to warn him of his mistake, in thinking that he should have earthly ease and privilege from following Him. Even the foxes and birds had better lodging than He. Christ had a home in Nazareth, before He entered on his ministry; but now He was a sojourner and wanderer. How little we know of our hearts! Christ can tell us of them. Some are ready to profess religion with an understanding of temporal ease. Christ proposes the cross. He who rejects it cannot be His disciple.¶ The Son of man. See 16. 13. This is the title which Christ usually gave to Himself. So it occurs sixty-one times in the Gospels. It is a strong assertion of His proper humanity, and of His having a peculiar interest in |