And it may further be observed, to those who doubt of the existence of evil spirits, that they cannot entertain such doubts without questioning the truth of the Holy Scriptures; for the sacred writers have laid down several particulars concerning these impious and envious beings; they have taken care to acquaint us with their original and fall, their names and numbers, their government and orders, their malicious designs, and various of their employments; and it is abundantly evident, both from sacred and profane history, that before our Saviour's ascension, there were great numbers of persons possessed with evil spirits. These evil spirits had gained so great an ascendency, and taken possession of so large a part of the world, that -they reviled the great Creator in his worship; and in several heathen nations, there were oracles which were applied to, in order to resolve the doubts, and answer the enquiries of their worshippers. And as the design of our Lord's incarnation, and his whole ministry, was "to destroy the works of the devil" perhaps, the reason why these apostate spirits were so frequently permitted to appear in Judea at this time, was, that the Son of God might, in a more manifest and triumphant manner, display his authority and power over the prince of darkness, and all his infernal legions, and thereby convince the wondering world, that he was really the Son of God, and the Saviour of mankind.

The fame of this miracle was soon spread over the neighbouring country. Our Redeemer had healed the sick, and done various wonderful works, which had excited the admiration of the people, and raised their expectations of something very great and advantageous to the Jewish nation, to arise from so extraordinary a person. But when the people beheld him, in the public assembly, with a commanding authority, dispossess the devil, and drive the powers of darkness before him; their astonishment increas ed, and they acknowledged that this was "the mighty power of God."

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Our Lord having performed this miracle in the synagogue, he departed to Peter's house, whose wife's mother lay sick of a fever: he took her by the hand, and immediately the fever left her; and so perfectly was she restored to her former health, that she arose and ministered unto him."The evangelist Luke, in his account of this wonderful cure, says that “he rebuked the fever;" which is a figurative way of speaking, conformable to the language of the Scriptures, where not only the inanimate parts of the creation, but diseases, famine, pestilence, and the like, are personated and represented as the servants of the Almighty, to execute his vengeance on rebellious sinners: hence, says the prophet, "before him went the pestilence: and burning diseases went forth at his feet."

Our Lord being grown popular, and famed through the city of Caperna um, for the authority and eloquence of his teaching, and the manifold wonders which he wrought, vast numbers of people resorted to him while he abode at Peter's house, and brought with them great numbers of persons, and those who were possessed with devils. The kind and compassionate Saviour of the world, was touched with pity at the sight of so many distressed and afflicted objects; when he immediately healed them all, and fulfilled, by his extensive, all relieving goodness, the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, "He himself took our infirmities, and bare our sick

nesses.

But the vast crowds of people, who now gathered about him in Capernaum, were not easily to be borne, and to avoid the troublesome press, our Redeemer retired to the desert, whither he was soon followed by great inultitudes of people, who were so delighted with his instructions, and had conceived so high an opinion of him, from his kind condescension, and his

many wonderful works, that they desired him never to depart from them But this request being inconsistant with the nature of his ministry, and the great design of his coming into the world, he departed from the desert "and preached in the synagogues of Galilee," and after he had proceed ed through various cities of that country, he returned to Capernaum.

When our great Redeemer was known to be returned to the city, he was soon surrounded by great multitudes of people; so that he was forced to retire into a ship, which being a little way from the shore, the divine Instructor taught them from thence, while the attentive multitude crowded the sea-side, and listened with great attention to his heavenly words.

When he had finished his discourse; he turned to Peter, who was the owner of the vessel, and advised him to launch out further from the shore, and let down his fishing net into the sea. Peter informed him of their unsuccessful toil during the night, but said, at his command, they would let down their net and make one trial more. Accordingly, they, cast into the water, and immediately found that their net had inclosed so prodigious a number of large fish, that it was in danger of breaking. Peter surprised at so strange a turn, and such an unexpected success, and knowing it must be produced by a supernatural power fell down at Jesus' feet," Depart from me," said he, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" He was convinced, by this miracle, of the divinity of his master, and was at that time impressed with awe from a sense of his own unworthiness: but the all-gracious Saviour of mankind bid him banish his fears, and informed him, that henceforth himself and his companions should be engaged in more noble employments. Our Lord declared that they should catch men, meaning that they should be instrumental in turning them from darkness to light, and from sin and Satan, to the knowledge of God.

This miracle was considered, by the disciples of CHRIST, as a fuller and plainer manifestation of his divine power, and a clearer evidence of his being the Son of God, than those they had seen him perform in Capernaum and the adjacent country. It was the common opinion amongst the Jews, that good men, by their prayers, might prevail so far with the almighty Governor of the world, as to heal the sick and to cast out devils; but they concluded that the creatures inhabiting the elements of the air or water, were subject only to the commands of our great Creator: and as he never granted to man an authority over these, the miracle which our Sa-, viour had just wrought, proved him to be the Son of God, and the great Messiah; and accordingly this manifestation of divine power fully convinced the disciples of the divinity of their master, and all of them, without hesitation, joined in the resolution to follow him through the world..

CHAPTER XII.

CHRIST cleanseth a second Leper: He rebukes the Storm and calms the Sea: He casteth out the Legion of Devils, and suffereth them to enter into an Herd of Swine: He cures a Person who had long been afflicted with the Palsy: And calls Matthew, who was sitting at the Receipt of Custom.

THE disciples now having every scruple removed, and being fully convinced that their Master was the Messiah, left their employment and followed him, while, according to his usual custom, he went through various cities of Galilee preaching the gospels of the kingdom of God, and confirming his divine doctrines with the most astonishing miracles.

In one of the cities which he visited on this occasion, he found a man said by the evangelists, to be "full of leprosy, who, seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean." It was the custom of the priests in Judea to drive from the conversation of mankind, those persons who were infected with the contegious kind of leprosy; and as this person was permitted to dwell in the city, it may be supposed that his leprosy was not of the worst kind. His case however, excited the compassion of our great Redeemer, who immediately cleansed him, and commanded him to depart to Jerusalem, and shew himself to the priest, and offer the customary gifts; but not publish abroad the account of his cure, nor make any noise about it. But the blessing which the poor man had received, was so great and unexpected, and his heart was so full of gratitude and joy, that he could not contain it; and he published the great things which our Lord had done for him, to all men where ever he came. This brought such crowds of people to the Son of God, that he was obliged to depart from Capernaum into the wilderhess, where he spent some time in retirement, meditation, and pray

tr.

Some writers have supposed that this leper, and the other mentioned in the foregoing chapter, were one and the same person; but this must be a mistake, the former being cleansed in the fields, the latter in the city: after cleansing the first JESUS went to Capernaum and healed the centurion's servant; after curing the latter, JESUS retired into the wilderness, to shun the vast multitudes which soon gathered round him, from the leper being so careful to proclaim to all men the miracles which JESUS had wrought.

Prehaps it may seem strange that the blessed JESUS should be so careful to conceal his wonderous works, and be looked upon, in some measure, contrary to the end for which they were preformed, which must certainly be to prove his divine mission. But it may be observed that his modesty and humility would not allow his works to have the least appearance of ostentation; nor the Jews to have the least pretence of accusing him of seeking his own glory, or aiming at popular applause.

And it may be supposed that our great Redeemer did not think it proper at this time, to irritate the Scribes and Pharisees by the proclamation & publication of his miracles through the kingdom. He very well knew that at the appointed time they would perform whatever had been determined concerning him in the counsels of heaven. In the mean time, ha was to work the works of him that sent him, and proclaim his gospel a mongst mankind. This he knew could not be so conveniently preformed if the fame of his miracles had roused the rage of his enemies, and excited their malice and envy to exert their utmost power against him. He likewise was sensible of the unruly humor of the multitude; they were convinced that he was the Messiah; they had no further views than a temperal reign; and he might be apprehensive that they would come by

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force and make him king, if the fame of his miracles blazed abroad before he had informed them of the spiritual nature of his kingdom. If such were his views, there was the greatest necessity to keep his miracles concealed as much as possible. The fame of his cleansing the last leper had brought such numbers of people to Capernaum, that he was forced to retire in a solitary retreat in the neighbouring desert: nor could he even in this retirement long enjoy the repose he sought; for the people soon found out the place of his retreat, and flocked to him in great numbers from every part of the country.

Our Lord finding his endeavours to conceal himself in vain, he ordered his disciples to accompany him to the other side of the lake. A certain Scribe, who happened to be amongst the company, declared that he would follow him whither soever he went; JESUS, who well knew that his only desire was to gain the profits and honour of that temporal kingdom which he supposed the Messiah would establish, told him, that if he wanted nothing more than to advance and inprove his worldly fortune, he would be greatly deceived; for the blessed Jesus informed this teacher of Israel, "That the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

The Son of Man is a name by which the Messiah is called in the propheey of Daniel, where his wide and extensive dominion is described; and therefore when this title is applied to our Lord, it hath reference to his human nature and at the same time conveys an idea of that glorious kingdom to which his manhood will be exalted. But as it was also a name by which the old prophets were called by way of contempt, it is used in several pla ces to express the deep humiliation ot the Son of God.

The disciples having provided a ship, took their Master on board, and crossed the lake, being followed by several boats full of people who were desirous of hearing his heavenly discourse, and seeing the wonderful works which he constantly performed. Our Lord being fatigued with the labour. of the day, fell asleep in the ship while she smoothly glided along the levet

seas.

But soon the weather, which till now had been calm and serene, changed, black clouds covered the skies, and the big storm burst from the dark concave of heaven, the winds roared aloud, and the white foam appeared on the face of the waves; the ship could scarce bear the dashing tides, which beat incessantly against her; the darkness of the night increased the horrors of the tempest; the waves began to break over the ship, & she was in the utmost danger of sinking. All hopes of being saved were lost, and in the agonies of despair the disciples ran to JESUS, crying, "Master, Master, we perish!" This piteous exclamation awaked him from his sleep, and raising that hånd, so often employed in acts of benevolence and mercy, he with an awful all-commanding voice, rebuked the boisterous ocean. The elements knew his voice; the roaring winds forsook the seas; and the foaming waves subsided. All was quiet, all was still, and the ship smoothly cut the smiling deep, soon arriving at her destined port.

The disciples, before this, had seen our Lord perform many miracles and had abundant reason to rely on his power and goodness. They had certainly no cause to be so much affrighted, or to give way to such despair and terror: they might have considered, that the same divine person who had so often healed the sick, and had lately shewn such power over the watry element, as to bring the fish to their nets, was equally able to stay the wild waves, or to have preserved them alive, had the ship sunk beneath them but they seemed, in the hurry of mind consequent on the terrors of the storm to have forgot the power of their Master, and therefore he gent ly rebuked them, "Why are ye so fearful! How is it that ye have no faith?" They ought to have remembered likewise, that the voyage was undertaken at his command, and it was not to be feared, that he would

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permit them to perish: but when the terror of the storm was over, they wondered at his power, and, though they frequently had occasion to remark the effects of his heavenly goodness, they exclaimed," What manner of man is this! that even the winds and the seas obey him."

Soon after the storm was stilled, the ship arrived in the country of Gadara; and on their landing, two men possessed with devils, came to meet our Redeemer. They were both exceeding fierce, turbulent, and unruly; but one of them was more furious than the other: this person had often been bound with chains and fetters, but all in vain, for his fetters were always broken with the greatest fury, so that no man attempted any lon ger to restrain him; being therefore at full liberty he shuned all human society, and wandered day and night in desert and dry places, and amongst the sepulchres and tombs, filling the silent repositories of the dead, with the most dismal and horrid howlings, and sometimes tearing his flesh, and cutting himself with stones.

The disciples were very much alarmed and terrified at the approach of these horrid and furious beings, but Jesus soon quieted their apprehensions of danger, by commanding the devils to come out of the men while they were at some distance. The heavenly command had no sooner passed from the lips of our great Redeemer, than the men fell on their faces crying, "What have we to do with thee Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? I adjure thee, by God, that thou torment us not." The infernal spirits were not igno rant of the power of the Son of God, and were afraid that he would cast them immediately into the torments prepared for them and suffer them no longer to wander about the earth, which they seem to have hoped would be permitted them till the judgment of the great day.

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JESUS, being willing that the torment of these miserable men should be the more understood, asked one of the dæmons his name, who immediate ly, answered, my name is Legion, for we are many:" at the same time he humbly requested, that our Lord would not immediately cast them into the ultimate torments prepared for them in the great deep of bottomless perdition, but would permit them to enter into an herd of swine, then feeding on a neighbouring mountain.

The grand deceiver of mankind, no doubt, beheld with knawing envy, the effects of our Redeemer's power and goodness; and to abate the opinion which the inhabitants of Gadara might form of him, and make him odious in their view, seems to be the reason of his petition to enter into the swine; for doubtless, the Devil knew, that if his legion could gain this permission, it would be in their power to destroy them; but though his secret designs could not be hid from the Saviour of the world, yet our Lord was pleased to grant to the fiend, the permission he desired: perhaps this might be complied with, to give the disciples a full proof that these per sons were really possessed with devils, and to give a terrible instance of the power of these malicious beings when free from restraint.

The commission was no sooner granted, than the devils forsook the men, and, swift as lightning seized their bristly prey. The whole herd were immediately in a tumult, and the torments the poor creatures suffered, were plainly perceived by the spectators at a distance; the keepers were affrighted, and found it impossible to calm or restrain the wild fury of the herd, they poured, with amazing rapidity, down the mountain's side, and approaching the confines of the lake, leaped from the rocks and precipices into the sea, and the whole herd perished in the waters. The persons, who but a moment before, were roaring, raving and cutting them. selves, were now become calm and composed; they were become mild and gentle, having recovered the use of their reason, and being now proper members of society, they, doubtless believed in the Son of God.