17 And one of the multitude answering faid, Mafter, I have brought to thee my fon, who hath a dumb fpirit. 18 And wherefoever he taketh him, he teareth him, and he foameth and gnafheth with his teeth and pineth away. And I spake to thy difciples to caft him out, 19 and they could not. He answering them faith, O faithless generation, how long fhall I be with you ? How 20 long fhall I suffer you? Bring him to me. And they brought him to him. And when he faw him, immediately the spirit tore him, and he fell on the ground, 21 and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it fince this came to him? And he said, From a 22 little child. And it hath often caft him both into the fire and into the waters to deftroy him; but if thou canft do any thing, have compaffion on us and help 23 us. Jefus faith to him, If thou canft believe, all things 24 are poffible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child crying out, faid with tears, Lord, 25 I do believe: help thou mine unbelief. And Jefus feeing that the multitude came running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, Thou deaf and dumb fpirit, I command thee; come out of him, and 26 enter no more into him. And having cried and rent him fore, he came out; and he was as dead, fo that 27 many faid, He is dead. But Jefus taking him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arofe. V. 17. And one of the multitude answering-The Scribes gave no anfwer to our Lord's queftion. They did not care to repeat, what they had faid to his difciples. A dumb spirit—A spirit that takes his speech from him. V. 20. When he faw him-When the child faw Chrift; when his de liverance was at hand. Immediately the Spirit tore him-Made his laft grand effort to destroy him. Is it not generally fo, before Satan is caft out of a foul, of which he has long had poffeffion? V. 22. If thou canst do any thing-In fo defperate a cafe: Have compaffion on us-Me as well as him. V. 23. If thou canft believe-As if he had faid, the thing does not turn on my power, but on thy faith. I can do all things: canft thou believe? V. 24. Help thou mine unbelief-Although my faith be so small, that it might rather be termed unbelief, yet help me V. 25. Thou deaf and dumb fpirit-So termed, because he made the child fo. When Jefus fpake, the devil heard, though the child could not I command thee-I myself now; not my difciples. V. 25. Having rent him fore-So does even the body sometimes fuf fer, when God comes to deliver the foul from Satan. 1 V. 30. They 28 And when he was come into an houfe, his difciples afked him privately, Why could not we caft him out? 29 And he said to them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. 30 * And departing thence, they paffed through Galilee, and he was not willing that any should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples and faid to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill him, and after he hath been killed, he shall 32 rife the third day. But they understood not the word, and were afraid to ask him. 33 + And he came to Capernaum. And being in the house, he afked them, what was it ye difputed among 34 yourselves by the way? But they held their peace; for they had been debating among themselves in the 35 way, Who fhould be greatest? And fitting down, he called the twelve, and faith to them, If any man defire to be first, let him be the last of all, and the fervant of And taking a little child, he fet him in the midst of them, and taking him up in his arms, he said to them, 37 Whosoever shall receive one fuch little child in my name, receiveth me; and whofoever shall receive me, receiveth not only me, but him that sent me. 36 all. 38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one cafting out devils in thy name, who followeth not V. 30. They paffed through Galilee-Though not through the cities hut by them, in the most private ways. He was not willing that any fhould know it; For he taught his difciples-He wanted to be alone with them fome time, in order to inftruct them fully concerning his fufferings. The Son of man is delivered-It is as fure, as if it were done already. V. 32. They understood not the word-They did not understand, how to reconcile the death of our Saviour, (nor confequently his refurrection, which fuppofed his death) with their notions of his temporal kingdom, V. 34. Who Should be greatest-Prime minifter in his kingdom. V. 35. Let him be the least of all-Let him abase himself the most. V. 37. One fuch little child-Either in years, or in heart. But V. 38. And John answered him-As if he had faid, but ought we to receive those who follow not us? Mafter, we faw one cafting out devils in thy name-Probably this was one of John the baptift's difciples, who believed in Jefus, though he did not yet associate with our Lord's disciples. And we forbade him, because he followeth not us-How often is the fame temper found in us? How readily do we also luft to envy. how does that spirit become a difciple, much more a minifter of the benevolent Jefus St. Paul had learnt a better temper, when he rejoiced that Chrift was preached, even by thofe who were his perfonal enemies. But to confine religion to them that follow us, is a narrowness of spirit which we should avoid and abhor. V. 30. Jefus Mat. xviii. 2, * Mat. xvii. 22. Luke ix. 44. Luke ix. 47. + Luke ix. 46. Luke ix. 49. us, and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39 And Jefus faid, Forbid him not; for there is no one who fhall do a miracle in my name, that can readily 40 fpeak evil of me. For he that is not against you, is for 41 you. For whofoever fhall give you a cup of cold water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I fay to you, he shall in no wife lofe his reward. 42 And whofoever fhall offend one of the little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a milftone were hanged about his neck, and he were caft 43 into the fea. *And if thy hand cause thee to offend, cut it off it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go into hell, into the 44 fire that never fhall be quenched: + Where their V. 39. Jefus faid-Chrift here gives us a lovely example of candour and moderation. He was willing to put the best conftruction on doubtful cafes, and to treat as friends thofe who were not avowed enemies. Perhaps in this inftance it was a means of conquering the remainder of prejudice, and perfecting what was wanting in the faith and obedience of thefe perfous. Forbid him not-Neither directly nor in directly difconrage or hinder any man, who brings finners from the power of Satan to God, because he followeth not us, in opinions, modes of worship, or any thing elie which does not affect the effence of religion. V. 40. For he that is not against you, is for you-Our Lord had for merly faid, he that is not with me, is against me: thereby admonishing his hearers, that the war between him and Satan admitted of no neutrality, and that thofe who were indifferent to him now, would finally be treated as enemies. But here in another view, he uses a very different proverb; directing his followers to judge of men's characters in the most candid manner, and charitably to hope, that those who did not oppofe his cause wifhed well to it. Upon the whole, we are to be rigorous in judging Ourselves, and candid in judging each other. V. 41. For whofoever shall give you a cup-Having answered St. John our Lord here refumes the difcourfe which was broken off at the 37th verse. V. 42. On the contrary, whosoever shall offend the very least chrif tian. V. 43. And if a perfon caufe thee to offend-(The discourse paffes from the cafe of offending, to that of being offended) if one who is as ufeful or dear to thee as an hand or eye, hinder or flaken thee in the ways of God, renounce all intercourfe with him. This primarily relates to perfons, fecondarily to things. V. 44. Where their worm-That gnaweth the foul (pride, felf-will, defire, malice, envy, fhame, forrow, despair) dieth not-No more than the foul itself and the fire, (either material, or infinitely worse!) that tormenteth the body, is not quenched for ever. Mat. x. 48. Mat. xviii. 6. Luke xvii. 1. V. 49. Every * Mat. v. 29. 45 worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot cause thee to offend, cut it off it is good for thee to enter halt into life, rather than having two feet to be caft into hell, into the fire that never fhall be 46 quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire 47 is not quenched. And if thine eye caufe thee to offend, pluck it out; it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God having one eye, rather than having two 48 eyes to be caft into hell-fire: Where their worm dieth 49 not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one fhall be falted with fire, and every facrifice fhall be falted 50 with falt. Salt is good but if the falt have loft its faltness, wherewith will ye season it. Have falt in yourfelves, and have peace one with another. X. And he arose and cometh thence into the coasts of Judea, through the country beyond Jordan: and the multitudes refort to him again, and as he was wont, 2 he taught them again. § And the Pharifees coming V. 49. Every one-Who does not cut off the offending member, and confequently is caft into hell, fhall be, as it were, fulted with fire, preferved, not confumed thereby; whereas every acceptable facrifice fhall be falted with another kind of falt, even that of divine grace, which purifies the foul, (though frequently with pain) and preferves it from corruption. V. 50. Such falt is good indeed; highly beneficial to the world, in refpect of which I have termed you the falt of the earth. But if the falt which fhould feafon others, have loft its own faltnefs, wherewith will ye feafon it ?-Beware of this: fee that ye retain your favour; and as a proof of it, have peace one with another. More largely this obfcure text might be paraphrased thus: As every burnt-offering was falted with falt, in order to its being caft into the fire of the altar, so every one who will not part with his hand or eye, fhall fall a facrifice to Divine Juftice, and be caft into hell-fire, which will not confume, but preserve him from a ceffation of being. And on the other hand, every one who denying himself and taking up his crofs, offers up himself as a living facrifice to God, fhall be feasoned with grace, which like falt will make him favoury, and preferve him from destruction for ever. As falt is good for preferving meats, and making them favoury, fo it is good that ye be feafoned with grace, for the purifying your hearts and lives, and for spreading the favour of my knowledge, both in your own fou's, and wherever ye go. But as falt if it lofes its faltnefs is fit for nothing, fo ye, if ye lofe your faith and love, are fit for nothing but to be utterly defroyed. See therefore that grace abide in you, and that ye no more contend, Who fhall be greatest ? V. 1. He cometh thence-From Galilee. Mat. v, 13. Luke xiv. 34. || Mat xix. 1. § Mat v. 31. asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? 3 Tempting him. And he answering said to them, What 4 did Mofes command you? They faid, Mofes fuffered to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away. 5 And Jefus answering faid to them, For your hardness 6 of heart he wrote you this precept. But from the be ginning of the creation God made them male and fe7 male. For this caufe fhall a man leave his father 8 and mother, and cleave to his wife: And they twain fhall be one flesh; fo then they are no more twain, but 9 one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, 10 let not man put asunder. And in the house his difci11 ples asked him again of the fame matter. And he faith to them, Whofoever shall put away his wife and marry 12 another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman fhall put away her husband, and be married to another, fhe committeth adultery. 13 And they brought little children to him that he might touch them; but the difciples rebuked those that 14 brought them. But Jefus feeing it, was much dif pleafed, and faid to them, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of fuch is the 15 kingdom of God. Verily I fay to you, Whofoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, 16 he fhall in no wife enter therein. And taking them in his arms, up put his hands upon them, and blesfed them. he V. 6. From the beginning of the creation-Therefore Mofes in the first of Genefis gives us an account of things from the beginning of the creation, Does it not clearly follow, That there was no creation previous to that which Mofes describes ? God made them male and female-Therefore Adam did not at first contain both fexes in himfelf: but God made Adam, when first created, male only; and Eve female only. And this man and woman he joined together, in a flate of innocence, as husband and wife. V. 11, 12. All polygamy is here totally condemned. V. 14. Jefus feeing it, was much difpleafed-At their blaming thofe who were not blame-worthy, and endeavouring to hinder the children from receiving a blefling. Of fuch is the kingdom of God-The members of the kingdom which I am come to fet up in the world are fuch as thefe, as well as grown perfons of a child-like temper. V. 15. Whofoever shall not receive the kingdom of Gd as a little child -As totally difclaiming all worthinefs and fitnefs, as if he were but a week old. V. 20. H * Deut. xxiv. 1. Gen. ii. 24+ Mat. xix. 13. |