S. What is the sense of those words? un T. It may signify, Let others bury the dead; thou hast work of more importance and consequence to do. But I prefer that interpretation, which alluding to death in a spiritual sense, renders the meaning of our Saviour's words thus: Let those who are concerned for the things of God, and unfit to engage in the promoting them, being dead in trespasses and sins, perform such offices, which they can do, as well as others; but thou, who hast begun to follow me, and to attend on the service and ministry of the kingdom of God; go on with resolution, and without allowing thyself any avocation from that work. S. Was Gadara and Gergesa one country? T. It was the same tract of land, and lying between the two towns of Gadara and Gergesa, was by the inhabitants sometimes called after the name of the country of the Gadarens, and sometimes that of the Gergesens. S Did Jesus do any miracles in this country? T. Here two Demoniacs, most grievously tormented, came running to him ; and instead of the usual fierceness and fury with which they pursued and terrified travellers, they worshipped him. the evil spirits from within publickly declaring him to be the Son of God; and expressing their fear that he was come to torment and dislodge them, begged to be permitted to enter into a herd of swine feeding upon a neighbouirng hill. Their number was great, from whence their name was called Legion; and Jesus having permitted them to enter into the swine, these all ran instantly into the sea and were drowned. S. What was the consequence of this? T. The men that had been possessed, were delivered and healed, and published about Decapolis the benefit they had received. And the herdsmen ran away frighted, and told in the city of Gadara, what had happened. The inhabitants, who were mostly heathens, came out and intreated Jesus to depart from their coasts; who thereupon repasses the lake, and comes to Capernaum. where he was received on the shoreside by great numbers of people who expected him. and having cleared the house of all but the parents of the maid, and his apostles Peter, James, and John, he took her by the hand; and at his command, she immediately revived and arose, as one raised from sleep. S. You told me that Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. Pray, what office was that? T. Some have thought that the ruler of the synagogue was the president of the consistory of the twenty three judges, who were appointed in every city to punish all offences, that were not capital. Others make this office to be a spiritual one; and look upon him as a leading man in the synagogue of Capernaum, who. had in a great measure, under his direction, such things as related to the service of God. If so, Jairus was not the principal or president, the head ог master of the synagogue, but only a presbyter or elder, or one of the chief rulers of the synagogue. at Capernaum. ་ S. Did Jesus work any other mi racles at this time? out. T. Yes: In his return from the house of Jairus, he was addressed by two blind men, to whom he gave sight; and a multitude of people brought him a Demoniac, possessed by a dumb spirit, which he cast Notwithstanding these several miracles, the Pharisees still blasphemously persisted to persuade the people, that our Saviour only acted herein as an agent or instrument of the devil, by whose power he enabled to effect these things. was S. How long did Jesus stay here? assembled to deplore her death according to the custom of those times; and having desired them to withdraw, and cease these solemn scenes of woe, told them the damsel only slept: ciples, and passing from one town to S. He soon departed with his dis another through the several parts of Galilee, he arrived at Nazareth, where he had been educated. S. How did they receive him? T. He went into their synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and preached unto them; but though they confessed their astonishment at his learn ing and great abilities, they despised and rejected his doctrine and authority, for the meanness of his parentage, and the employment of a carpenter, which he had followed in his youthful days; and shewed more incredulity than the rest of Judea ; unable to reconcile what was said, touching the great things he did, with what they beheld in his person. S. How did Jesus brook this ill bekaviour? T. He did no mighty works there, the hardness of their hearts being insuperable, except the cure of a few sick persons; but, upbraiding them for their infidelity and ingratitude, he departed, taking leave of them with this severe reflection; A prophet never wants honour, but in his own country. S Whither did he go at his departure from Nazareth? T. He visited most of the cities and villages of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel, and curing diseases. S. Did his apostles accompany him in all these journies? T. Hitherto they had continued with him. But soon after his departure from Nazareth, being moved with compassion towards the multitudes who followed him from distant parts, and because the harvest he observed was great, and the laborers but few, he sends his apostles, two by two, into the remote parts of Judea to preach and heal the sick in his name; while he continued his ministry alone in Galilee, and the He invested the neighbouring places. apostles with full power to cure all diseases, to cast out devils, and to raise the dead in his name, but restrained their ministry to the Israelites alone; gave them some directions for their conduct; and acquainted them that they must expect persecutions for his sake; but promised to punish those in the day of judginent, that should reject them, and reward those that would receive them kindly. to S. Did the apostles act as the Lord commanded thein? T. Yes they went into all parts of Palestine, preached the glad tidings and terms of the gospel to the Jews, and wrought miracles in confirmation of the truth thereof. Nothing could be a greater proof of Chsist's mission and divinity, than this act of his : for no magicians or workers of miracles ever pretended to delegate their virtue to others, or to impart their power to them, upon the invocation of their names or belief of their doctrine. To transfer a miraculous power to a man, and to give authority and strength to a creature to do things above the power of nature, is an infallible sign and proof of one, who hath power over all, and the causes of all things in his hand. S. What happened to Jesus during the mission of his apostles? T. He, no doubt, performed many mighty works: but as his apostles were not present, they have given us no particular account of them. And just as they were returned, Jesus received the news of the beheading of John the Babtist, in the castle Machærus, about two leagues beyond Jordan, at the request of the daughter of Herodias, the incestuous wife of Herod Antipas. S. Why at her request ? T. Herodias stomached the remonstrances of the Baptist against her incestuous cohabitation with Herod, while her former husband, who was his natural brother, was still alive and she tutored her daughter upon a proper occasion, to ask his head of her father Herod, by whom John was now confined. Herod having made a great entertainment on his birth-day, for the chief of his nobles; his daughter's behaviour and dancing then gave him so much satisfaction, that he rashly offered to grant any request she should make, even to the half of his kingdom. She seized the opportunity, and preferring the gratifying of her revenge, above her ambition or covetousness, demanded the head of John the Baptist. S. Did Herod make no demur at So strange a request; So au company concerning himself. But the reverence he had for this holy man lessening in proportion as his foud affection to Herodias increased, caused him at length to yield, that he might not break his word, and having ordered his head to be cut off in prison, he delivered it to Herodias' daughter in a charge, who immediately carried it to her mother. S. What became of John's body? T. His disciples were permitted to bury it decently at Samaria, as it is commonly believed; because in the time of Julian the Apostate, his tomb was found there and broke open, and his bones were burnt by the heathens of that place. As for his head, no doubt the cruel adulteress Herodias, to whom her daughter delivered it, took care to bury it privately. Yet I have been informed by travellers in popish countries, that the ecclesiastics impose no less than six heads of this saint upon their credulous devotees in different nations. S. Did these murderers escape the judgments of God? T. God's vengeance soon overtook them all. Herodias was proud as well as cruel; and envying the glory of her brother Agrippa, whom Caligula had made a king, persuaded Herod to repair to Rome, to solicit the same title for himself, who now a was only a tetrarch. But when Herod was come into the emperor's power, his unjust government 'having made him obnoxious, instead of succeeding in his request, he was deprived of his government, and banished with his wife Herodias, to Lyons, in France: where they lived in disgrace and died miserably. As to the daugh ter: Nicephorus relates that as she was T. Yes: Herod was much troubled and shocked at a motion of such uncommon barbarity, made by a person of her age and quality, at solemnity of joy, and before gust an assembly. Besides, he privately retained a great esteem for John, and might now moreover dread the resentment of the people, as soon as his death should be made known; for all esteemed him to be a just and holy man; not to mention the bad opinion this was like to give the more thinking part of the walking over some ice, it let her in up to the head, and then meeting again, scvered it from her body. S. What did Jesus upon the news of this execution? S. He crossed the sea of Galilee, and retired with his disciples, to a desert near Bethsaida. S Was Jesus afraid of Herod; and what did he in the desert? T Herod, hearing of the miracles done by Jesus soon after the death of John the Baptist, was greatly perplexed thereat, and uneasy to know who this man should be, that was so powerful both in word and deed; imagining sometimes that it was Joan returned to life again, who had wrought all these wonderful things. Jesus therefore finding his miracles taken notice of at court, and knowing the subtlety and cruelty of that prince, thought it best to retire into the desert; where Herod could not hinder the people from running after him: for he was followed by near 5000 persons, besides women and children; who were continually attentive to his doctrine and miracles. And their minds were so taken up with what they saw and heard from him, that they forgot to take along with them their necessary provisions. S How could they be supplied in the wilderness? T. Three days were now past since they left their habitations to follow him in the desert: Jesus therefore moved with compassion towards them, spake to his disciples about procuring them some sustenatice; and they answering him that they were far from any town where they could be supplied, and that they had no more than five barley loaves and some small fishes, Jesus commanded his disciples to cause the multitude to sit down, and to distribute them in several companies; and when this was done, he blessed the loaves, and gave them to his disciples, that they might share them amongst the people; which small pittance Jesus so miraculous y increased by his blessing, that after all of them had eaten, and were full, his disciples filled twelve baskets with the fragments that remained; by which the greatness and reality of the miracle were manifes ted, S. What said the people to this miracle? T. They readily acknowledged him to be the Messiah, and projected to seize on him, and by force make Kim a king; which Jesus perceiving, he sent his disciples back again by sea to Capernaum; and dismissing the people, retired alone into a mountain, where he continued in prayer and meditation, till midnight. S. What became of Jesus afterwards? T. He comes to his disciples at midnight, walking on the sea; where knowing that they had been driven up and down all the night by a great storm, and in danger of being lost, to demonstrate his omnipotence, and the divinity of his person, he came to the ship; and though at his first ap pearance they were struck with fear,, supposing probably it was the evil spirit who had raised the storm; he appeased their fears, made himself known to them, and enabled Peter, who had desired this demonstration of his power, to walk also on the sea; and obliged |