Judea; but as it was on its borders, it is probable that the inhabitants were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. Swine were to Jews unclean animals, and it was unlawful for them to eat them. Lev. xi. 7. The Jews were forbidden by their own laws to keep them, even for the purpose of traffic. Either, therefore, they had expressly violated the law, or these swine were owned by the Gentiles. The keepers fled in consternation. They were amazed at his power. Perhaps they feared a further destruction of property; or, more likely, they were acquainted with the laws of the Jews, and regarded this as a judgment of Heaven for keeping forbidden animals, and for tempting the Jews to violate the commands of God. They dreaded, perhaps, further punishment, and foolishly came and besought Jesus to depart from their country.

This 's the only one of our Saviour's miracles, except the case of the fig-tree that he cursed, Matt. xxi. 18-20, in which he caused any destruction of property. It is a striking proof of his benevolence, that his miracles tended directly to the comfort of mankind. It was a proof of goodness added to the direct purpose for which his miracles were wrought. That purpose was to confirm his divine mission; and it might have been as fully done by splitting rocks, or removing mountains, or causing water to run up steep hills, as by any other display of power. See Acts ii. 22. He chose to exhibit the proof of his divine power, however, in such a way as to benefit mankind.

Infidels have objected to this whole narrative. They have said that this was a wanton and unauthorized violation of private rights in the destruction of property. They have said that the account of devils going into swine, and destroying them, is ridiculous. In regard to these objections the narrative is easy vindicated. 1. If Christ, as the B.ble declares, be divine as well as human -God as well as man-then he had an original right to that and all other property, and might dispose of it as he pleased. Ps. 1. 10-12. If God had destroyed them by pestilence, or by

lightning, or by an inundation or earthquake, neither the owners, nor any one else, would have had reason to complain. No one now feels that he has a right to murmur if God destroys a thousand times the amount of this property, by overturning a city by an earthquake. Why then should complaints be brought against him if he should do the same thing in another way? 2. If this property was held by the Jews, it was a violation of their law, and it was right that they should suffer the loss; if by the Gentiles, it was known also to be a violation of the law of the people among whom they lived; a temptation and a snare to them; and an abomination in their sight; and it was proper that the nuisance should be removed. 3. The cure of two men, one of whom was probably a man of distinction and property, was of far more consequence than the amount of property destroyed. To restore a deranged man now, of family and standing, would be an act for which property could not compensate, and which could not be measured in value by any pecuniary consideration. But, 4. Jesus

was not at all answerable for this destruction of property. He did not command, he only suffered or permitted the devils to go into the swine. He commanded them merely to come out of the man. They originated the purpose of destroying the property, doubtless for the sake of doing as much mischief as possible, and of destroying the effect of the miracle of Christ. In this they seem to have had most disastrous success; and they only are responsible. 5. If it should be said that Christ permitted this, when he might have prevented it, we reply, that the difficulty does not stop there. He permits all the evil that exists, when he might prevent it. He permits men to do much evil, when he might prevent it. He permits one bad man to injure the person and property of another bad man. permits the bad to injure the good. He often permits a wicked man to fire a city, or to plunder a dwelling, or to rob a traveller, destroying property of many times the amount that was lost at Gadara. Why is it any more absurd to suffer a wicked spirit to do injury, than a wicked man; or to suffer a legion of devils to

He

CHAPTER IX.

A paralytic cured, 1-8. Matthew called, 9. A feast with publicans, &c., 10-13. Christ's disciples in joy

while he was with them, 14-17.

Jairus and his daughter, the woman with the issue, and the two blind

on

condescension. Ver. 19, 20. Men of wickedness and crime dwell in splendid mansions, and stretch themselves couches of ease; when afflicted, they recline on beds of down, but Jesus had no home, and no pillow. The birds that fill the air with music, and warble in the groves, nay, the very foxes have homes and a shelter from the storms and elements; but he that made them, clothed in human flesh, was a wanderer, and had not where to lay his head. His sorrows he bore alone; his dwelling was in the mountains. In the palaces of the men for whom he toiled, and for whom he was about to bleed on a cross, he found no home, and no sympathy. Surely this was compassion worthy of a God.

VII. It is no disgrace to be poor. The Son of God was poor; and it is no dishonour to be like him. If our Maker, then, has cast our lot in poverty, if he takes away by sickness or calamity the fruits of our toils, if he clothes us in homely and coarse apparel, if he bids the winds of heaven to howl around our open and lonely dwellings, let us remember that the Redeemer of mankind trod the same humble path; and that it can be no dishonour to be likened to him who was the beloved Son of God.

VIII. We should be willing to embrace the gospel without hope of earthly reward. Ver. 19-23. Religion promises no earthly honours or wealth. It bids its disciples to look beyond the grave for its highest rewards. It requires men to love religion for its own sake; to love the Saviour, even when poor, and cast out, and suffering, because he is worthy of love; and to be willing to forsake all the allurements which the world holds out to us, for the sake of the purity and peace of the gospel. IX. We learn the necessity of for saking all for the sake of the gospel. Our first duty is to God, our Creator, and Saviour; our second to friends, and relations, and country. Ver. 22. When God commands, we must follow him, nor should any consideration of ease, or

safety, or imaginary duty deter us. To us it is of no consequence what men say or think of us. Let the will of God be prayerfully ascertained, and then let it be done though it carry us through ridicule, racks, and flames.

X. Jesus can preserve us in the day of danger. Ver. 23-27. He hushed the storm, and the disciples were safe. His life was also in danger with theirs. Had the ship sunk, without a miracle, he would have perished with them. So in every storm of trial or persecution, in every heaving sea of calamity, he is united to his followers. His interest and theirs is the same. He feels for them, he is touched with their infirmities, and he will sustain them. Because I live, says he, ye shall live also. Never, never, then, shall man or devil pluck one of his faithful followers from his hand. John x. 27, 28.

XI. All that can disturb or injure us is under the control of the Christian's Friend. Ver. 28-32. The very inhabitants of hell are bound, and beyond his permission they can never injure us. In spite then of all the malice of malignant beings, the friends of Jesus are safe.

XII. It is no uncommon thing for men to desire Jesus to depart from them. Ver. 34. Though he is ready to confer on them important favours, yet they hold his favours to be of far less consequence than some unimportant earthly possession. Sinners never love him, and always wish him away from their dwellings.

XIII. It is no uncommon thing for Jesus to take men at their word, and leave them. He gives them over to worldly thoughts and pursuits; he suffers them to sink into crime, and they perish for ever. Alas how many are there like the dwellers in Gadara, that ask him to depart, that see him go without a sigh, and that never, never again behold him coming to bless them with salvation.

CHAPTER IX.

1. And he entered into a ship, &c. Jesus acceded to the request of the people

1 Mark ii. 3-12. Luke v. 18-26.

of Gadara, recrossed the lake of Genesareth, and returned to his own city. By his own city is meant Capernaum, Mark ii. 1, the city which was at that time his home, or where he had his dwelling. See ch. iv. 13. This same account, with some additional circumstances, is contained in Mark ii. 3-12, and Luke v. 18-26.

2. A man sick of the palsy. See Note, Matt. iv. 24. ¶Lying on a bed. This was probably a mattress, or perhaps a mere blanket spread to lie on, so as to be easily carried. Being light, Jesus might with propriety command him to take it up and walk. Ver. 6.

Mark 66 says, they uncovered the roof." Ch. ii. 4. Luke says, " they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling." Ch. v. 19. To us it would appear that much injury must have been done to the house where Jesus was, and and that they must be much incommoded by the removal of tiles and rafters, &c. An acquaintance, however, with the mode of building in the east, removes every difficulty of this nature. Houses, in castern countries, are commonly square in their form, and of a single story. On approaching them from the street, a single door is seen in the centre, and, usually, directly above it a single latticed window. This destitution of doors and lights from the streets, though it gives their dwellings a sombre appearance, is yet adapted to the habits of retirement and secresy among the people of the east, where they are desirous of keeping their females from observation. On entering the only door in front, the first room is a small square room, surrounded with benches, called the porch. In this room the master of the family commonly transacts buisness, and, on private occasions, receives visits. Passing through the porch, you enter a large square room directly in the centre of the building, called the court. Luke says that the paralytic was let down "into the midst;" not in the midst of the people, but of the building, the middle place of the house. This court is paved commonly with marble; and, if possible, a fountain of water is formed in the centre, to give it beauty, and to diffuse a grateful coolness. This room is surrounded by a gallery, or covered

walk on every side. From that covered walk, doors open into the other apartments of the house.

This centre room, or court, is commonly uncovered or open above. In wet weather, however, and in times of great heat of the sun, it is covered with an awning or canvas, stretched on cords, and capable of being easily removed or rolled up. This is what Mark means when he says they uncovered the roof. They rolled up or removed this awning.

From the court to the roof the ascent is by flights of stairs, either in the covered walk or gallery, or in the porch. The roof is nearly flat. It is made of earth; or in houses of the rich is a firmly constructed flooring, made of coals, chalk, gypsum, and ashes, made hard by repeated blows. On those roofs spears of grass, wheat, or barley, sometimes spring up; but these are soon withered by the sun. Psa. cxxix. 6-8. The roof is a favourite place for walking, for repose in the cool of the day, for conversation, and for devotion. Note, Matt. vi. 6. On such a roof Rahab concealed the spies, Josh. ii. 6; Samuel talked with Saul, 1 Sam. ix. 25; David walked at eventide, 2 Sam. xi. 2; and Peter went up to pray, Acts x. 9. This roof was surrounded with a balustrade, or railing, breast-high, on the sides; but where a house was contiguous to another, and of the same height, the railing was lower, so as to walk from one roof to another. In cities constructed in this manner, it was possible to walk through a considerable part of the city on the roofs of the houses. A breast-work or railing was of course built in the same manner around the open space in the centre, to prevent them from falling into the court below. This railing, or breastwork, is what Luke, ch. v. 19, says they let him down through. They removed it probably so that the couch could be conveniently let down with cords; and standing on the roof over the Saviour, they let the man down directly before him. The perseverance they had manifested was the evidence of their faith or confidence in his power to heal the sick man.

Suppose the Saviour to be seated in the open court or centre room which was