452 Many lame, blind, &c. are brought to Jesus, and healed. SECT. lxxxvi. Mat. SECT. LXXXVI. Our Lord, after many amazing miracles, feeds above four thou sand with seven loaves and a few small fishes; and then goes over to Dalmanutha. Mat. XV. 30, to the end. Mark VIII. 1-10. MAT. XV. 30. MAT. XV. 30. AND great multi tudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at jesus' feet, and he healed them: 31 Insomuch that the multitude won to speak, maimed to be AND ND while Jesus was seated on the mountain to which he went up, (Mat. xv. 29,) there came to him, besides the deaf man of whom we XV. 30. have just been speaking, great multitudes, having brought along with them persons who were lame, or blind, or dumb, [or] maimed by the loss of a limb, and many others, who had different complaints; and they cast them at the feet of Jesus, entreating his compassion, which failed not to operate on such occasions, and he healed them all. 31 And so many and various were the displays of his miraculous power in the cures he wrought dered, when they say that the whole multitude was perfectly amazed, the dumb when they beheld the dumb speaking forth the the praises of God and of their great Deliverer; the whole, the lame to maimed made whole by the recovery of hands and to see and they gloarms which they had lost, or which were grown rified the God of Isquite useless to them; the lame walking with rael. vigour and agility, and the blind seeing every object distinctly, and immediately bearing, without any inconvenience, the full force of unaccustomed light and, struck with such various and pleasing wonders, they glorified the God of Israel, who had raised up so illustrious a Prophet to his people, and sent help to so many afflicted creatures whom no human power could have restored. Mark VIII. 1. This concourse of people continued with him a The maimed made whole.] The word XUA, which we render maimed, does, in the strictest propriety (as Festus observes,) signify one whose hand or arm has been cut off (see Mark ix. 43.) but it is sometimes applied to those who only were disabled in those parts. (See Beza and Casaub. in loc.) And though in some rare instances it may be used to signify a lameness in the feet (see Elsner. Observ. Vol. I. P. 77, and Albert. Observ. p. 109.) yet, as it is here opposed to χωλές περιπαλωνίας, the lame walking, it must undoubtedly be limited as in the paraphrase.—It is rea much walk, and the blind MARK VIII. 1. In those sonable to suppose that among the many maimed, who were brought on such occasions, there were some whose limbs had been cut off; and, I think, hardly any of the miracles of our Lord were more illustrious and amazing than the recovery of such. b Bearing-the full force of unaccustomed light.] So far as we can judge by all the stories of the blind restored to sight, which occur in the gospel, this was universally the case; and I could not forbear pointing out so wonderful a circumstance. < They 453 SECT. lxxxvi. The people having been with him three days, he pities them. those days the multi- much longer than could have been imagined; tude being very great, and, the season being favourable, they were so eat, Jesus called his intent on hearing Christ and seeing his miradisciples unto him, and cles, that they lodged two nights together in the VIII. 1. saith unto them.[MAT. fields and therefore, in those days, the multiXV.32.-] and having nothing to 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now about been with me three tude being very great and having spent the provision they had brought out with them, so that now on the third day they had nothing to eat, Jesus having called his disciples to him, says unto them, I cannot but have compassion on the 2 multitude of my hearers, who flock thus eagerly and me, express such zeal in their attenddays, and have no- ance, as to expose themselves thereby to many thing to cat: [MAT. inconveniences; for they have continued with XV. -32.-] me now three days, and I well know, that they have nothing left to eat: And therefore I will 3 not send them away fasting to their own houses, lest, if I do, they should some of them faint by the way: for our Lord knew, that several of them came from a considerable distance, and were but ill furnished for procuring accommodations abroad. 3 And [I will not] send them away fasting to their own houses, [lest they faint] by the way: for divers of them came from afar. MAT. XV.-32.] whence can a man sa much bread in 4 And his disciples And his disciples, not reflecting on the miracle 4 answered him, From he had lately wrought for the relief of the five tisfy these inen with thousand, or not imagining he would repeat it, bread here? [Whence answered him, From whence can any one hope to should we have so the satisfy these men with bread and other food here wilderness, as to fill in this desert country, if he had ever so much so great a multitude?] money to spare for the purpose? [And] especially [MAT. XV. 33.] whence should we, whose stock is so small, have so much bread in the wilderness as might suffice to fill so great a multitude, whose appetites are many of them sharpened by so long a fast? We cannot but wonder to hear thee mention such a design. 5 And he asked them, How many And he asked them, How many loaves are you 5 loaves have ye? and provided with, or what have you at hand to eat? they said, Seven, [and And they said, We have only seven loaves among a few little fishes.] us all, and a few little fishes, which is a very [MAT. XV. 54.] trifle to the present purpose. And, having or- 6 dered them to bring out what they had, he comsit manded the multitude to sit down in ranks on the 6 And he commanded [the multitude] to Mark 454 SECT. 1xxxvi IIe feeds four thousand with seven loaves and a few fishes. sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks and brake, and give to his disciples to set before them and they did : set them before the ground, that they might be served as before, in an orderly manner; and then having took the Mark seven loaves, and solemnly given thanks to his VIII. 6. heavenly Father, acknowledging his goodness as the great Author of all mercies, when he had blessed them before them all, he brake them into people. [MAT. XV. proner pieces, and gave them] to his disciples 35, 36.] to set before them; and they accordingly set them 7 before the people. And, as they likewise had a few small fishes, he took them also in the same manner; and having blessed [them] as he had done the bread, he commanded his disciples to set them also before the multitude.] Mat. : 7 And they had a few small fishes; and he blessed, and comalso before them. manded to set them 8 So they did all eat and were abundantly satis- 8 So they did [all] 9 And they who had eaten of these loaves and fishes were about four thousand men besides a considerable number of women and children, who were there in company with them, and all partook of the same entertainment. 9-And they that had eaten were about four thousand beside men, women and children. [MAT. XV. 38.] MAT. XV. 39. And he sent away And, the repast being over, he dismissed the XV. 39. multitude: and immediately after this entered into the multitude: [and a ship with his disciples he crossed the sea, and straightway he enter ed into a ship with came into the parts of Dalmanutha (which, with his disciples,] and several neighbouring cities, stood in the coast of came into the parts Magdala, not far from Gadara, on the eastern of Dalmanutha,] into shore of the sea of Galilee:) and there he had an interview with some Pharisees, which will be related in the next section. the coast of Magdala, [MARK VIII. 9, 10.] Mat. XV. IMPROVEMENT. WITH What a circle is our blessed Lord surrounded! Let us 50, 51. parse a little, and endeavour to paint him to our imagination on this mountain, where the astonished multitudes so justly extolled all these à That they might be served as before, in an orderly manner.] See note h on Mark vi. 40. p. 415. Probably here they might sit an hundred in rank, and forty in file, by which means the four thousand men would be exactly disposed as the five thousand had been. With what a circle is our blessed Lord surrounded !] As this story of fee ting the four thousand is so very much the same with what we had in sect. lxxviii. I refer the reader to the improvement of that section (p. 417.) for practical reflections on the greatest part of this; and choose here to indulge a devout meditation on the number and variety of those cures which Christ per formed, which constitutes the whole of this improvement, having been elsewhere but transiently touched upon. The Pharisees ask him for a sign from heaven. 455 SECT. lxxxvi. these mingled wonders of power and of grace. Let us reflect on the dumb speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, and the blind seeing, that with them we may glorify Mat.XV. the God of Israel. But who can describe the sentiments of these happy creatures, who, without any dangerous or painful operation, found themselves, in a moment, restored beyond all the efforts of nature, and beyond all the prospects of hope! With what pleasure did the car, which had just been opened, listen to the pleasing accents of his instruetive tongue! How did the lame leap around him for joy! and the maimed extend their recovered hands in grateful acknowledgments of his new creating power! While the voice of the dumb sang forth his praises in sounds before unknown; and the eye of the blind checked the curiosity, which would have prompted it to range over the various and beautiful objects of unveiled nature, to fix its rapturous regards on the gracious countenance of him that had given it the day! Let us farther reflect with what correspondent pleasure must our Lord survey these grateful and astonished creatures, while his benevolent heart took its share in all the delight, which he gave! These trophies of his greatness, how unlike to those of the field, the monuments of desolation and slaughter! Trophies, for which the hero must have struggled with the man, and might sit down and weep over his own success! Whose heart is so insensible as not to feel an humane as well as devout pleasure in the history of these and the ke miracles, though the subjects, on which they were wrought, are long since mouldering in the dust! But let us farther recollect, that our Divine Leader has other vet more noble and more permanent trophies; those immortal spirits, which he has redeemed, and sanctified, and saved! So may our transported souls. O blessed Jesus, in the consciousness of health, vigour and salvation, behold thee as our Deliverer! So mayest thou view us with satisfaction, as the travail of thy soul, in that mountain of God, where we hope to offer thee nobler praises, and for ever to consecrate to thy service those powers, which thou hast recovered from weakness, dishonour and ruin. SECT. LXXXVII. The Pharisees again demand a sign, and Christ upbraids them with hypocrisy in doing it; and, having crossed the lake again, he cautions his disciples against their leaven, and that of the Sadducees. Mat. XVI. 1-12. Mark VIII. 11. MAT. XVI. 1. THE Pharisees also MAT. XVI. 1. with the Sadducees AND when Jesus was landed on the opposite. came, 30, 31. SECT. lxxxvii. shore of the sea of Galilee, in the coasts of Mat. Magdala, XVI. 1. 3 I 2 456 lxxxvii. Mat. Christ upbraids them with their hypocrisy. SECT. Magdala, the Pharisees and Sadducees, notwith- came, [and began to standing the difference of their principles, and question with him.] and [tempting him] the alienation of their affections from each other, desired him that he XVI. 1. agreed to join in an attempt upon him: and ac- would shew them a cordingly they came, and began to examine him sign from heaven. [MARK VIII. 11.] in a very craity and ensnaring manner; and, to try him yet farther, desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven'; pretending that they could not acquiesce merely in such miracles as he had wrought upon earth, where there was much more room for artifice and deceit, and evil spirits might have some greater influence than in the upper regions. (Compare Mat. xii. 33. sect. Ixii.) Mark 2 b 2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. weather to-day, for the But he, answering, said unto them, It is most apparent, you ask this out of a desire to cavil, rather than to learn the Divine will; for in other cases you take up with degrees of evidence far short of those which you here reject: as for instance, you readily say in an evening, [It will be] fair weather to-morrow, because the sky is this 3 evening of a bright and fiery red: And in the 3 And in the morn morning, [It will be] tempestuous weather to- ing, It will be foul day, for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypo- sky is red and lowring. crites, you know how to distinguish the face of the ye hypocrites, ye heavens, and to form from thence probable con- of the sky, but can ye jectures concerning the weather; and can you not discern the signs of not [distinguish] the signs of the present times, the times? and see by the various miracles which are daily performed among you, and the other tokens. which attend mine appearance, that this is indeed the period, which you profess to desire with so much eagerness, and which you might discern with much less sagacity? can discern the face And, sighing deeply, as being touched in his MARK VIII. 12.VIII. 12 own spirit with a most compassionate sense of And he sighed deeply their in his spirit, and saith, Why a Desired him that he would shew them had then been given in the voice from a sign from heaven.] On the whole, I am ready to think the two things mentioned in note a on Mat. xii. 38, p. 530, are to be united; and that, what they here demanded was the very thing which Josephus tell us. (Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 15. [al. 12,] § 4.) Impostors of those times promised they would shew them from God; under the character of one thevtegias, signs of liberty, or some miraculous appearance from heaven, to assure them of deliverance from the Roman yoke. And on these principles they continued their demands in the apostles' time, (1 Cor. i, 22,) though so many signs from heaven thence; in the preternatural darkness at our Lord's crucifixion; in the descent of angels in repeated instances; and in that of the Holy Spirit, in a visible form, as well as in the most sensible effects. See Dr. Lardner's Credib. book i. chap. 5, § 2, Vol. I. p. 291. b Tempestuous weather.} So X properly signifies. Dr. Lightfoot justly observes that the Jews used to value themselves highly on their skill in prognosticating the weather. And Grotius has well observed in his note on this place what a variety of signs marked out that time for the arrival of the Messiah, © Be |