He cures a man possessed with a spirit ST. MARK. A. M. 4032. A. D. 28. a which rendered him deaf and dumb. 14 And when he came to his when he saw him, straightway the An. Olymp. disciples, he saw a great multitude spirit tare him; and he fell on the about them, and the scribes question-ground and wallowed, foaming. ing with them. CCI. 4. 15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And oft-times it hath cast him into the fire, 16 And he asked the scribes, What question and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou ye with them? canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. C 17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faith-running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, less generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him and saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and a Matt. 17. 14. Luke 9. 37. Luke 9. 38. Or, among yourselves? Matt. 17. 14. - Or, dusheth him. с © Ch. 1. 26. Luke 9. 42.—f Matt. 17. 20. ch. 11. 23. Luke 17. 6. John 11. 40. Instead of a S, AND How it is written, I read nabws, AS ALSO it is written of the Son of man, &c. This reading is supported by AKM. seventeen others, the latter Syriac in the margin, Slavonic, and Armenian. Some think the propriety of adopting this reading is self-evident. Verse 15. Were greatly amazed] Probably, because he came so unexpectedly; but the cause of this amazement is not very evident. Verse 23. If THOU canst BELIEVE] This was an answer to the enquiry above. I can furnish a sufficiency of power, if thou canst but bring faith to receive it. Why are not our souls completely healed? Why is not every Dæmon cast out? Why are not pride, self-will, love of the world, lust, anger, peevishness, with all the other bad tempers and dispositions which constitute the mind of Satan, entirely destroyed? Alas! it is because we do not believe; Jesus is able; more, Jesus is wil credence to his word; therefore hath sin a being in us, and Verse 17. A dumb spirit] That is, a Damon who afflictedling; but we are not willing to give up our idols, we give not those in whom it dwelt, with an incapacity of speaking. The Spirit itself could not be either deaf or dumb. These are accidents that belong only to organized animate bodies. See this case explained, Matt. xvii. 14, &c. Verse 18. Pineth away] By these continual torments; so he was not only deaf and dumb, but sorely tortured besides. Verse 20. When he saw him—the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, &c.] When this Dæmon saw Jesus, he had great rage, knowing that his time was short; and hence the extraordinary convulsions mentioned above. Verse 22. If THOU canst DO any thing] I have already tried thy disciples, and find they can do nothing in this case; but if thou hast any power, in mercy use it in our behalf. dominion over us. Verse 24. Lord, I believe] The word Lord is omitted by ABCDL. both the Syriac, both the Arabic, latter Persic, Ethiopic, Gothic, and three copies of the Itala. Griesbach leaves it out; the omission, I think, is proper, because it is evident the man did not know our Lord, and therefore could not be expected to accost him with a title expressive of that authority, which he doubted whether he possessed, unless we grant that he used the word zugi, after the Roman custom, for sir. Help thou mine unbelief.] That is, assist me against it. Give me a power to believe. Verse 25. I charge thee] Considerable emphasis should be 33 ¶And he came to Capernaum: A.M. 4032. and being in the house, he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted yourselves by the way? him up; and he arose. An. Olymp. CCI. 4. 34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them," If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. 36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Matt. 17. 19. Matt. 17. 22. Luke 9. 44. Matt. 18. 1. Luke 9. 46. & 22.24. laid on the pronoun;-thou didst resist the command of my disciples, now I command thee to come out. If this had been only a natural disease, for instance the epilepsy, as some have argued, could our Lord have addressed it, with any propriety, as he has done here; Thou deaf and dumb spirit, come out of him, and enter no more into him! Is the doctrine of dæmoniacal influence false? If so, Jesus took the most direct method to perpetuate the belief of that falsity, by accommodating himself so completely to the deceived vulgar. But this was impossible, therefore the doctrine of dæmoniacal influence is a true doctrine, otherwise Christ would never have given it the least countenance or support. d Matt. 20. 26, 27. ch. 10. 43.- Matt. 18. 2. ch. 10. 16- Matt. 10. 40. Luke 9. 48.- Numb. 11. 28. Luke 9. 49. that of Aldus. Mill approves of the omission. It does not appear likely, from Matthew's account, that three of the disciples, Peter, James, and John, could be ignorant of the reasons of Christ's death and resurrection, after the transfiguration: on the contrary, from the circumstances there related, it is very probable, that from that time they must have had at least a general understanding of this important subject; but the other nine might have been ignorant of this matter, who were not present at the transfiguration; and probably it is of these that the Evangelist speaks here. See the observations on the transfiguration, Matt. xvii. 9, &c. and xviii. 1. Verse 33. And being in the house] That is, Peter's house, where he ordinarily lodged. This has been often observed before. Verse 29. Prayer and fasting.] See on Matt. xvii. 21. This dæmon may be considered as an emblem of deeply rooted vices, and inveterate habits, over which the conquest is not generally obtained, but through extraordinary humilia-1-5. tions. Verse 34. Who should be the greatest.] See on Matt. xviii. Verse 38. We saw one casting out devils in thy name] It This case is related by both Matthew and Luke, but it is can scarcely be supposed, that a man, who knew nothing of greatly amplified in Mark's account, and many new circum-Christ, or who was only a common exorcist, could be able to stances related. Another proof that Mark did not abridge work a miracle in Christ's name: we may therefore safely Matthew. imagine, that this was either one of John the Baptist's disVerse 30. They-passed through Galilee] See on Matt. xvii. ciples, who, at his master's command, had believed in Jesus, 22-27. Verse 32. But they understood not] This whole verse is wanting in two MSS. in the first edition of Erasmus, and in or one of the seventy, whom Christ had sent out, Luke x. 1-7. who, after he had fulfilled his commission, had retired from accompanying the other disciples; but as he still held 41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. name, but did not follow him. A. D. 28. little ones that believe in me, it is A. M. 4032, better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. e f CCL. 4. 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched : 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is 42 And whosoever shall offend one of these better for thee to enter halt into life, than having d 1 Cor. 12. 3. See Matt. 12. 30. Matt. 10. 42. Matt. 18. 6. Luke 17. 1. с * Deut. 13. 6. Matt. 5. 29. & 18. 8.—f Or, cause thee to offend: and só ver. 45, 47.8 Isai. 66. 24. Judah 16. 17. fast his faith in Christ, and walked in good conscience, the influence of his Master still continued with him, so that he could cast out dæmons as well as the other disciples. He followeth not us] This first clause is omitted by BCL. three others, Syriac, Armenian, Persic, Coptic, and one of the Itala. Some of the MSS. and Versions leave out the first, some the second clause: only one of them is necessary. Griesbach leaves out the first. We forbade him] I do not see that we have any right to attribute any other motive to John than that which he himself owns -because he followed not us-because he did not attach himself constantly to thee, as we do, we thought he could not be in a proper spirit. Verse 39. Forbid him nt] If you meet him again, let him go on quietly in the work, in which God owns him. If he were not of God, the dæmons would not be subject to him, and his work could not prosper. A spirit of bigotry has little countenance from these passages. There are some who are so outrageously wedded to their own creed, and religious system, that they would rather let sinners perish, than suffer those who differ from them to become the instruments of their salvation. Even the good that is done, they either deny or suspect, because the person does not follow them. This also is vanity and an evil disease. Verse 40. He that is not against us, is on our part.] Or rather, Whosoever is not against you, is for you. Instead of nuwe, us, I would read upwv, you, on the authority of ADS IV. upwards of forty others, Syriac, Armenian, Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Gothic, Slavonic, Vulgate, Itala, Victor, and Opt. This reading is more consistent with the context-He followed not us-well, he is not against you; and he who is not against you in such a work, may be fairly presumed to be on your side. There is a parallel case to this mentioned in Numb. xi. 26-29. which, for the elucidation of this passage, I will transcribe. "The Spirit rested upon Eldad and Medad, and they prophesied in the camp. And there rau a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua-the servant of Moses-said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest THOU for MY sake? Would God, that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them." The Reader will easily observe, that Joshua and John were of the same bigotted spirit; and that Jesus and Moses acted from the spirit of caudour and benevolence. See the notes on Numb. xi. 25-29. Verse 41. A cup of water to drink] See the notes on Matt. x. 42. xviii. 6-8. Verse 43. The fire that never shall be quenched] That is, the inextinguishable fire. This clause is wanting in L. three others, the Syriac, and latter Persic. Some eminent critics suppose it to be a spurious reading; but the authorities which are for it, are by no means counterbalanced by those which are against it. The same clause, in ver. 45. is omitted in BCI.. seven others, Syriac, latter Persic, Coptic, and one Itala. Eternal fire is the expression of Matthew. Verse 44. Where their worm dieth not] The bitter reflection, "I might have avoided sin, but I did not; I might have been saved, but I would not," must be equal to ten thousand tormentors. What intolerable anguish must this produce in a damned soul! Their worm. It seems every one has his worm, his peculiar remorse for the evils he did, and for the grace he rejected; while the fire, the state of excruciating torment, is common to all. Reader! may the living God save thee from this worm, and from this fire! Amen. The fire is not quenched.] The state of punishment is continual; there is no respite, alleviation, nor end ! Verse 43-48. Thy hand-foot-eye-cause thee to offend] See the notes on Matt. v. 29, 30. water, Numb. xxxi. 23. Ye, disciples, are the Lord's sacrifice; ye shall go through much tribulation, in order to enter into my kingdom: but ye are salted, ye are influenced by the Spirit of God, and are immortal, till your work is done; and should ye be offered up, martyred, this shall be a means of establishing more fully the glad-tidings of the kingdom: and this spirit shall preserve all who believe on me from the to God are represented as his offering, see Isai. lvi. 20. the Verse 49. For every one shall be salted with fire] Every one of those who shall live and die in sin: but there is great difficulty in this verse. The Codex Bezæ, and some other MSS. have omitted the first clause; and several MSS. keep the first, and omit the last clause-and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. There appears to be an allusion to Isai. Ivi. 24. It is generally supposed that our Lord means, that as salt preserves the flesh with which it is connected, from corruption; so this ever-corruption of sin, and from eternal perdition. That converts lasting fire, To Tug To acero, this inconsumable fire, will have the property not only of assimilating all things cast into it, to its own nature; but of making them inconsumable like itself. Scaliger supposes, that instead of as-Tugi, naσa яugia, every sacrifice (of flour,) should be read, "Every sacrifice (of flour)plicity, and eternity, of the pains of the damned. They suffer shall be salted, and every burnt-offering shall be salted." This, I fear, is taking the text by storm. Some take the whole in a good sense, as referring to the influence of the Spirit of God in the hearts of believers, which shall answer the same end to the soul in preserving it from the contagion that is in the world, as salt did in the sacrifices offered to God to preserve them from putrefaction. Old Trapp's note on the place pleases me as much as any I have seen: "The spirit, as salt, must dry up those bad humours in us, which breed the never-dying worm; and, as fire, must waste our cor--ruptions, which else will carry us on to the unquenchable fire." Perhaps the whole is an allusion to the purification of vessels, and especially such metallic vessels as were employed in the service of the sanctuary. Probably the following may be considered as a parallel text: Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make go through the fire, and it shall be clean; and all that abideth not the fire, ye shall make go through the without being able to die; they are burned without being: consumed; they are sacrificed without being sanctified; are salted with the fire of hell, as eternal victims of the Divine Justice. We must of necessity be sacrificed to God, after one way or other, in eternity; and we have now the choice either of the unquenchable fire of his justice, or of the everlasting flame of his love. Quesnel. Verse 50. If the salt have lost his saltness] See on Matt.v. 13. Have salt in yourselves] See that ye have at all times the preserving principle of divine grace in your hearts, and give that proof of it which will satisfy your own minds, and convince or silence the world: live in brotherly kindness and peace with each other: thus shall all men see that you are free from ambition, (see ver. 34.) and that you are my disciples indeed. That it is possible for the salt to lose its savour, and yet retain its appearance, in the most perfect manner, see proved in the note on Matt. v. 13.. The Pharisees question our Lord concerning divorce, 1—12. Little children are brought to him, 13-16. The person who enquired how he might inherit eternal life, 17-22. How difficult it is for a rich man to be saved, 2327. What they shall receive who have left all for Christ and his gospel, 28-31. He foretells his death, 32-34. James and John desire places of pre-eminence, S5-41. Christ shews them the necessity of humility, 42-45. Blind Bartimeus healed, 46-52, 9 What therefore God hath joined A.M. 4058. together, let not man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, 'Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commit. teth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her hus 3 And he answered and said unto them, What band, and be married to another, she commitdid Moses command you? с 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; teth adultery. g 13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. h 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then child, he shall not enter therein. they are no more twain, but one flesh. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put Matt. 19. 1. John 10. 40. & 11. 7. Matt. 19. 3.-Deut. 24. 1. Matt. 5. 31. & 19. 7. Gen. 1. 27. & 5. 2. Le Gen. 2. 24. 1 Cor. 6. 16. Ephes. 5. 31. f Matt. 5. 32. & 19. 9. Luke 16. 18. Rom. 7. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 10, 11.Matt. 19. 13. Luke 18. 15, 1 Cor. 14. 20. 1 Pet. 2. 2.- Matt. 18. 3. NOTES ON CHAP. X. Verse 1. He arose] Kazadev avasas may be translated, he departed thence. The verb ans has this sense in some of the purest Greek writers. See Kypke. Many transactions took place between those mentioned in the preceding chapter, and these that follow, which are omitted by Matthew and Mark; but they are related both by Luke and John. See Lightfoot, and Bishop Newcome. Verse 2. Is ut lawful for a man to put away his wife?] See this question about divorce, largely explained on Matt. xix. 3-12. they were punished. Divorce never should be permitted but on Verse 16. And he took them up in his arms] One of the Itala reads in sinu suo-" in his bosom." Jesus Christ loves little children; and they are objects of his most peculiar care. Who can account for their continual preservation and support while exposed to so many dangers, but on the ground of a peculiar and extraordinary providence? And blessed them.] Then, though little children, they were capable of receiving Christ's blessing. If Christ embraced them, why should not his church embrace them? Why not dedicate them to God by baptism? whether that be performed by sprinkling, washing, or immersion; for we need not dispute about the mode: on this point let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind. I confess it appears to me Verse 12. And if a woman shall put away her husband] From this it appears, that in some cases, the wife assumed the very same right of divorcing her husband, that the husband had of divorcing his wife; and yet this is not recorded any where in the Jewish laws, as far as I can find, that the women had such a right. Indeed were the law which gives the permission, all on one side, it would be unjust and oppressive; but where it is equally balanced, the right being the same on each side, it must serve as a mutual check, and prevent those evils it is intended to cure. Among the Jews there are several in-grossly heathenish and barbarous, to see parents who profess to stances of the women having taken other men, even during the life of their own husbands. Nor do we find any law by which believe in that Christ who loves children, and among them those whose creed does not prevent them from using infant baptism, de |