29 crumbs. And he faid to her, for this faying, go: the 30 devil is gone out of thy daughter. And going to her houfe, the found her daughter lying on the bed, and the devil gone out. 31 + And departing again from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he came to the fea of Galilee, through the 32 midst of the country of Decapolis. And they bring to him one that was deaf, and dumb, and beleech him 33 to put his hand upon him. And taking him afide from the multitude, he put his fingers into his ears, and 34 fpitting, touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he groaned and faith to him, Ephphatha, that is, 35 be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the ftring of his tongue was loofed, and he spake 36 plain. And he charged them to tell no man; but the more he charged them, fo much the more a great deal 37 they published it. And were beyond measure aftonished, faying, He hath done all things well; he maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. VIII. * In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, calling to him his difciples 2 he faith to them, I have compaffion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and 3 have nothing to eat. And if I fend them away fafting to their own home, they will faint by the way; for 4 divers of them come from far. And his cibles anfwered him, Whence can one fatisfy theic men with 5 bread here in the wildemefs? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye ? And they faid, Seven. 6 And he commanded the multitude to fit down on the ground; and taking the feven loaves, having given thanks, he brake and gave to his disciples to fet before V. 33. He put his fingers into his ears-Perhaps intending to teach us, that we are not to prefcribe to him (as they who brought this man attempted to do) but to expect his bleffing by whatsoever means he pleafes; even though there fhould be no proportion or resemblance between the means ufed, and the benefit to be conveyed therebv. V. 34. Ephphatha-This was a word of SOVEREIGN AUTHO. RITY, not an addrefs to God for power to heal. Such an addrefs was needlefs; for Christ had a perpetual fund of power refiding in himself, to work all miracles whenever he pleafed, even to the raifing the dead, John v. 21, 26. V. 36 Then-The blind man and those that brought him, N 3 V. 8. So 7 them and they did fet them before the people. And they had a few fmall fifhes: and having bleffed them, 8 he commanded, to set them also before them. So they did eat and were fatisfied; and they took up fragments that were left, seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thoufand: and he fent them away. 9 10 And straightway going into the veffel with his difciples, he came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 11 + And the Pharifees came forth and questioned with him, feeking of him a fign from heaven, tempting him. 12 And fighing deeply in his fpirit, he faid, why doth this generation feek a fign? Verily I fay to you, 13 there fhall no fign be given to this generation, § And he left them and going into the veffel again, went to the other fide. 14 Now they had forgotten to take bread; nor had they in the veffel with them any more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, faying, take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharifees and the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reafoned among themselves, faying, We 17 have no bread. And Jefus knowing it faid to them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive 18 ye not yet, neither confider? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, fee ye not? And having 19 ears, hear ye not? And do not ye remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thoufand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They fay V. 8. So they did eat-This miracle was intended to demonftrate, that Chrift was the true bread which cometh down from heaven; for he who was Almighty to create bread without means to fupport natural life, could not want power to create bread without means to fupport fpiritual life. And this heavenly bread we stand so much in need of every moment, that we ought to be always praying, Lord, evermore give us this bread. V. 11. Tempting him-That is, trying to infnare him. V. 12. Why doth this generation (that is, these Scribes and Pharisees) feck a fign? Not out of fincerity, but out of hypocrify. V. 15 Beware of the leaven of the Pharifees, and of Herod, or of the Sadducees: two oppofite extremes. V. 17, 18. Our Lord here affirms of all the Apoftles (for the question is equivalent to an affirmation) that their hearts were hardened; that having eyes they faw not, having cars they heard not; that they did not confider, neither understand: the very fame expreffions, that occur in the gth of St. Matthew. And yet it is certain, they were not judicially hardened. Therefore all thefe ftrong expreffions, do not neceffarily import any thing more, than the present want of fpiritual understanding. + Mat xvi. 1. ý Mặt xvi V.. 23. He !་ 20 to him, twelve. And when the feven among the four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye ? And they faid, feven. And he faid to them, How is it, that ye do not understand P 21 up 22 And he cometh to Bethfaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. 23 And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town, and having spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him, If he faw ought ? 24 And looking up he said, I fee men, as trees walking. 25 Then he put his hands again on his eyes and made him look up, and he was reftored and faw all men clearly. 26 And he fent him away to his house, faying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. 27 + And Jesus went out and his difciples into the towns of Cefarea Phillippi. And in the way he asked his difciples, faying to them, Whom do men say that I And they answered, John the Baptift; but fome fay Elijah; and others one of the prophets.. 29 And he faith to them, But whom say ye that I am? 28 am ? And Peter answering faith to him, Thou art the Chrift. 30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. 31 * And he began to teach them, that the Son of man muft fuffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and fcribes, and be killed, 82 and after three days rife again. And he fpake that 33 faying openly. And Peter taking hold of him, rebuked him. But he turning about and looking on his V. 23. He led him out of the town-It was in juft difpleasure against the inhabitants of Bethfaida for their obstinate infidelity, that our Lord would work no more miracles among them, nor even fuffer the perfon he had cured, either to go into the town, or to tell it to any therein. V. 24. I fee men as trees walking-He diftinguished men from trees only by their motion. V. 30. He enjoined them filence for the prefent, 1. That he might not encourage the people to fet him up for a temporal king; 2. That he might not provoke the Scribes and Pharifees to deftroy him before the and 3. That he might not foreftall the brighter evidence which was to be given of his divine character after his refurrection. time; V. 32. He spoke that faying openly-Or in exprefs terms: till now he had only intimated it to them. And Peter taking hold of him-Perhaps by the arms or clothes. V. 33. Looking on his difciples-That they might the more observe what he faid to Peter.. V. 84. And Mat. xvi. 13. Luke ix. 18. Mat, xvi. 21. Luke ix. 22. 34 difciples, rebuked Peter, faying, Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou favoureft not the things of God, but the things of men. And when he had called the people to him, with his difciples alfo, he faid to them, Whofoever is willing to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his crofs and follow me. 35 + For whofoever defireth to fave his life shall lofe it; but whofoever fhall lose his life, for my fake and 36 the gofpel's, fhall fave it. For what fhall it profit a man, if he fhall gain the whole world, and lose his 37 own foul? Or what fhall a man give in exchange 38 for his foul? For whofoever shall be afhamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and finful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels. IX. And he faid to them, Verily I fay unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who fhall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God coming with power. 2 And after fix days Jefus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and carrieth them up into an high mountain, by themselves apart, and was trans3 figured before them. And his garments became V. 34. And when he had called the people-To hear a truth of the laft importance, and one that equally concerned them all. Let him deng himfelf-His own will, in all things, small and great, however pleafing, and that continually: And take up his cross-Embrace the will of God however plainful, daily, hourly, continually. Thus only can he follow me in holinefs, to glory. V. 38. Whofoever shall be afhamed of me and my words-That is, avowing what ever I have faid, (particularly of felf-denial and the daily cross) both by word and action. V. 1. Till they fee the kingdom of God coming with power-So it began to do, at the day of Pentecoft, when three thousand were converted to God at once. V. 2. By themselves-That is, separate from the multitude: ApartFrom the other apoftles. And was transfigured-The Greek word feems to refer to the form of God, and the form of a fervant, (mentioned by St. Paul, Phil. ii. 6, 7.) and may intimate, that the divine rays, which the indwelling God let out on this occafion, made the glorious change from one of these forms into the other. V. 3. White as now, fuch as no fuller can whiten-Such as could not be equalled either by nature, or art. V. 4. Elijah, + Mat. xvi. 25. Luke ix. 24. xvii. 33. John xii. 25. Mat. x. 82. Luke ix, 26. xii. 8. | Mat. xvii. 1. Luke ix. 28... fhining, exceeding white, as fnow, fuch as no fuller on 4 earth can whiten. And there appeared to them Elijah 5 with Mofes, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answering faith to Jefus, Mafter, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tents, one. for 6 thee, and one for Mofes, and one for Elijah. For he knew not what to fay; for they were fore afraid. And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, faying, This is my be8 loved Son; hear ye him. And fuddenly looking round, they faw no man any more, fave Jefus only 9 with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them to tell no man the things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the 10 dead. And they laid hold on that faying, queftioning one with another, What meaneth, Till he were risen 11 from the dead? And they asked him faying, Why fay 12 the fcribes, that Elijah must come first ? And he an fwering told them, Elijah verily coming first, restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must fuffer many things, and be fet at nought. 13 But I fay to you, Elijah is come, as it is written of him and they have done to him whatsoever they lifted, 14 : *And coming to his difciples, he faw a great multitude about them, and fcribes questioning with them. 15 And straightway all the multitude feeing him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, faluted him. 16 And he asked the fcribes, What question ye with them? V. 4. Elijah, whom they expected: Mofes whom they did not. 7. There came a (bright, luminous) cloud, overshadowing them This feems to have been fuch a cloud of glory, as accompanied Ifrael in the wilderness, which, as the Jewish writers obferve, departed at the death of Mofes. But it now appeared again, in honour of our Lord, as the great prophet of the church, who was prefigured by Moses. Hear ye him-Even preferably to Mofes and Elijah. V. 12. Elijah verily coming firft reftoreth all things: and, how it is written-That is, and he told them, how it is written-As if he had faid, Elijah's coming is not inconfiftent with my fuffering. He is come: yet I fhall fuffer. The first part of the verle anfwers their queftion concerning Elijah; the fecond refutes their error, concerning the Meffiah's Continuing for ever. V. 15. All the multitude feeing him were greatly amazed-At his coming fo fuddenly, fo feasonably, fo unexpectedly: perhaps alfo at fome unufual rays of majesty and glory, which yet remained on his coun tenance. Mat. xvii. 14. Luke ix. 37. V. 17. And |