that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

SECT. VII. THE NOBLEMAN'S SON HEALED.*

Now after two days Jesus departed thence and went into Galilee. For he himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. And when he was come into John ii. 23. Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

John ii. 11.

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee.

* This nobleman was in all likelihood a Jew of high birth, connected with the court of Herod Antipas. A comparison of Luke iv. 44 with John iv. 54 seems to determine the position of this Section.

SECT. VIII. THE FIRST PUBLIC PREACHING OF
CHRIST.*

(MATT. iv. MARK i. LUKE iv.)

And there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And from that time he began to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, and to say, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

SECT. IX. JESUS VISITS NAZARETH AND IS REJECTED.-HE FIXES HIS ABODE AT CAPERNAUM.†

(MATT. iv. LUKE IV.)

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he Isa. hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, Ye

*It seems conclusive that Christ did not begin to preach till after the imprisonment of the Baptist, when he began his public ministry with the same words as his appointed forerunner.

Our

The order of this Section is determined by Matt. iv. 12, 13, and Luke iv. 16. This is a different visit to Nazareth from that recorded in Matt. xiii. 54. Lord seems, however, very seldom to have visited the scene of his early life. Being a border town and the haunt of evil-disposed persons from Samaria and the heathen towns of the sea coast, he may on this account have avoided it.

A synagogue was a Jewish place of worship, built in imitation of the temple at Jerusalem. Wherever ten men of learning, piety, and means, could be found to attend the service, one was erected, and there prayer, praise, reading, and expounding of the Scriptures, might be conducted; sacrifices being offered at Jerusalem only.

D

will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: John iv. 46. whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when

1 Kings xvii.1 great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

2 Kings v. 14.

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way, and leaving Nazareth, he came down to Capernaum,* a_city_of_Galilee, upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim, and dwelt there; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the 1 Kings ix.11 prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up..

Isa. ix. 1.

SECT. X. THE CALL OF PETER, ANDREW, JAMES,
AND JOHN.†

(MATT. iv. MARK i.)

AT THE SEA OF GALILEE.

Now as Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, cast

* Christ's ministry in Galilee properly commenced when he took up his residence at Capernaum, which henceforth became the centre of his ministry, its situation by the Sea of Tiberias rendering it convenient either for retirement or missionary operations.

† Peter, Andrew, James, and John, whose call is here described, did not yet altogether attach themselves to Jesus, but ever and anon returned to their old employment. We are unable to see how the account of the miraculous draught of fishes can be considered the same as this call of the four to follow Christ; and, with Greswell, Stier, and others, though in opposition to the majority of harmonists, reckon them distinct events.

ing a net into the sea for they were fishers. And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they left their nets, and followed him. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, who also were mending their nets. And straightway he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and followed him.

SECT. XI. CHRIST TEACHES IN CAPERNAUM, AND
PERFORMS DIVERS MIRACLES.*

(MATT. iv. MARK I. LUKE IV.)

CAPERNAUM, Jan., 28 A.D.

And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes ; and his word was with power.

healed.

And there was in the synagogue a man which had a spirit A demoniac of an unclean devil; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

healed.

And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon Peter's wife's Peter's house, along with James and John. But Simon's mother wife's mother lay sick of a fever and anon they tell him, and beseech him for her. And he came and took her hy

* Mark i. 21 fixes the order of this Section.

Isa. liii. 4.

the hand, and lifted her up. And he rebuked the fever, and immediately it left her: and she arose and ministered unto them.

And at even, when the sun was set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And he cast out the spirits with his word, and laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. The devils also came out of many, crying out and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. But he, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak : for they knew that he was Christ. And all the city was gathered together at the door. This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

SECT. XII. FIRST GENERAL CIRCUIT OF GALILEE.

(MATT. ix. MARK L., II. LUKE V.)

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also the kingdom of God : for therefore am I sent. And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils, and healed all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria :* and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were

Syna was properly the general name for the whole country between the Euphrates on the east, and the Mediterranean on the west; between Mount Taurus on the north, and Arabia on the South. Here, however, it may only refer to the region to the north-east of Palestine. "Decapolis embraced ten cities, all of which, with one exception, were on the eastern side of the Jordan and of Galilee. Beyond Jordan" is the country generally to the east of the sources of the Jordan. On the morning of the first day of the week, Jesus retired early to a solitary place for the sake of private prayer. The first circuit of Galilee began immediately after. that some months were occupied therewith, but it a few weeks would be taken up with this tour. four or five days.

Greswell and others suppose seems more probable that only Ellicott thinks it occupied only