glory; it was prayer for those whom He had chosen, that they might be "sanctified through the truth," and "kept from the evil which is in the world;" it was prayer not for them alone, but for all that should hereafter believe in Him through their word; that zeal for His name and love of the brethren might prevail among men, and that the glory of God might be extended by the proofs of His power, and His mercy openly manifested to the world*.

SECT. XXXI.-Christ cleanseth the Leper.-Matt. viii. 2-4; Mark i. 40-45; Luke v. 12-15.

In the endeavour to harmonize the history of the New Testament, it is often difficult to account for the different order in which the Evangelists record the same events. St. Mark and St. Luke, who wrote later than St. Matthew, are thought to be much more precise in fixing each event in its proper order of time than the latter Evangelist is. Thus, according to the method in which St. Matthew has recorded Christ's actions in His perambulation of Galilee, having named that He preached and then healed, he first gives an account of the doctrine that He taught, and proceeds to mention the miracles He wrought, without being very precise in fixing them to their proper time. time. The place in the history, which St. Matthew assigns to the healing of the leper, is different from that given

Archbishop Sumner.

to the same miracle in the other Evangelists, which has caused some to conjecture, that there were two instances in which Christ cleansed the one leprous man; but yet, as the circumstances related by all give precisely the same details, it is concluded that the three Evangelists intended to recount the same transaction 5.

Among the crowds that followed Jesus was a miserable man "full of leprosy." No leper in Israel might come into their cities till the priest had pronounced him clean, and so restored him to the congregation. The priest

did not profess to heal; but only so far to judge of the malady, that he might pronounce such an one worthy of being enlarged from his separation. The leprosy is most offensive, painful, and dangerous, and, in all its stages, and under all its appearances, is one of the most calamitous of diseases. Here was such an one who, being deeply impressed with his own misery, earnestly implored relief of Christ. He had heard of the wonderful work of mercy effected by Jesus, and seeing Him, he worshipped Him, and fell on his face, and ardently besought Him to show him compassion: "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean"." had been a very rare case to heal a leper, and Christ had not healed any till now. But this leper came to Him "when He was in a certain

Dr. Lightfoot.

6 Ibid.

7 Dr. Robinson.

It

So.

city," notwithstanding that he was yet "full of leprosy;" which makes it clear, that he had been pronounced clean by the priest, otherwise our Lord would have run a hazard of making Himself unclean, by touching one that was manifestly The priest had done for him as much as he could; that is, he had pronounced him clean, but could not make him so. There is sufficient resemblance between bodily and spiritual diseases to render one an example of the other; and this may be the reason why many of the miracles which Jesus wrought are described with much minuteness and particularity of circumstances, in order that we may be led to pay attention to this resemblance. Here, then, was one full of leprosy as another may be full of sin,-irremediable by the hand of man ; both may be relieved by the power of Christ; both may be led to apply to the Saviour in the prayer of faith, and with equal confidence, "If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean." The prayer of the leper was immediately and evidently answered, "I will: be thou clean "." The circumstance here related holds forth every encouragement to us to make known our requests to God; and whatever our necessities may be, however we may despair of obtaining deliverance from man, prostrate at the feet of the Christ, He may have compassion on us, as Archbishop Sumner.

8

* Dr. Lightfoot.

9

He had upon the leper, and immediately our leprosy shall be cleansed 1o.

It has been thought, that when Jesus commanded the leper "to tell no man," that it was from a consideration that He had to fulfil all the time foretold of His ministry; which could not have been accomplished, if, as soon as He appeared in public, and had began to preach, He had immediately professed Himself openly as the Messiah; for His enemies would have laid hold on Him forthwith; or, at all events, disturbed His ministry, and obstructed the full exercise of the work He was appointed to do. That this was the ground of His caution and reserve, appears from a later passage in His history, where it is related, " He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill Him '.' It may be observed, that when our Saviour performs a miracle among the heathens, or upon those who dwelt among them, He does not impose silence on the person healed; but, on the contrary, He tells the man of Gadara, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." We may therefore conclude, that His reasons for giving an injunction of secrecy were peculiar to the Jewish people'. Moreover, when, in the text before us, Jesus commands the leper to tell no man, He

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10 Dr. Robinson.

'Locke.

2 Dr. Whitby.

adds, "Go, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them;" clearly showing, that though He would not have the miracle noised abroad, He did not intend to put any disgrace upon the priesthood ;-and though this man may have already offered before, when the priest had pronounced him clean, yet he must now do it again, that there might be no derogation accrue to the priesthood, and to the law, but that both might have due honour, both from the man and from the Christ; and this is supposed to be meant by those words, "for a testimony unto them "."

[SECT. XXXII.-Christ cureth one sick of the Palsy.—

Matt. ix. 1-8; Mark ii. 1-12; Luke v. 18-26. OUR Saviour having walked and preached through Galilee for some time, now betakes Himself again to Capernaum, called by St. Matthew "His own city." This is probably now so called, rather than Nazareth, because at this time He principally resided there, and paid tribute as an inhabitant. According to the Jewish canons a person was counted a citizen of a place in which he had lived twelve months, or in which he had a dwelling-house. On a certain day, when He was teaching, many Pharisees, and Scribes, and Doctors of the Law, who were come out of every town of Galilee, and

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3 Dr. Lightfoot.

Pictorial Bible.