beneficial consequences shall result to all the nations of the earth. Then she fell at his feet, and besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But he answered, It is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to the dogs; thus strongly marking the distinction which yet continued to subsist between the Jews and the Gentiles. Offensive as this expression must have been to a Gentile, the woman, probably convinced of the excellency of the Jewish religion, or, like the woman of Samaria, firmly believing in the exalted character of Christ, and therefore readily admitting whatever he asserted, however opposite it might be to her former prejudices, still continued her applications. And she said, truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table; let me, therefore, have only as much kindness as the dogs of any family enjoy. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And when she was come to her house, she found that the evil spirit was ejected, and her daughter laid upon the bed. This miracle indicated that there was mercy in store for the Gentiles, and strongly indicates the duty always to pray and never to faint.

At length, Jesus, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, returned to the sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis, on the east side of Jordan. Somewhere in this country, they brought to him a man who was deaf, and who had an impediment in his speech. He had, therefore, either only a partial deafness, or one that was the effect of some accident or disease. His friends having interceded for him with Christ, he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit and touched his tongue. And, that the deaf man, who could not be instructed by language, might consider the source whence all benefits proceed, looking up to heaven, he sighed and saith unto him, ephphatha, that is, be opened. And straightway his cars were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man. However, neither the man nor his friends obeyed this injunction, but published every where that Christ had done all things well, making both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Jesus having tarried in Decapolis a considerable time, the fame of his being in that country reached every corner. Wherefore, to avoid the crowds, he retired into a desert mountain, beside the sea of Galilee. Here the sick, the lame, the dumb, the blind, and the maimed, were brought to him from all quarters, and laid down around him by their friends, who followed him thither. And he healed them. The sight of so many people in distress moved the compassion of the Son of God exceedingly; for he graciously healed them all. Particularly on the dumb, who are, commonly deaf also, he not only conferred the faculty of hearing and pronouncing articulate sounds, but he conveyed into their minds at once the whole language of their country, making them perfectly acquainted with all the words in it, their significations, their forms, their powers, and their uses, so as to comprehend the whole distinctly in their memories; and, at the same time, he gave them the habit of speaking it both fluently and copiously. This was a kind of miracle vastly astonishing. The change that was produced in the bodies of the men, was but least part of it. What passed in their minds was the grand and principal thing, being an effect so extensive, that nothing inferior to infinite power could produce it. With respect to the maimed, that is, persons who had lost their legs and arms, Jesus gave them new members in their stead. But when he thus created such parts of their bodies as were wanting without having any thing at all as a subject to work upon, the spectators could scarcely have been more surprised, had they seen him make a whole human body out of the dust of the earth. The Jewish multitude seem to have apprehended the greatness of these miracles mere distinctly than the generality of Christians; for we are told, [Mat. ix. 33.] when Jesus

opened the mouth of a dumb man, the multitude marvelled, saying, "it was never so seen in Israel." [See also Mat. xii. 22, 23. Mark vii. 38.] On this occasion, likewise, they were not silent nor unaffected. Inscmuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see; and they glorified the God of Israel. This latter clause makes it probable that many heathens were now present with our Lord, beheld his miracles, and formed a just notion of them. It seems, his fame, spreading itself into the neighbouring countries, had made such an impression upon the idolatrous nations, that numbers of them came from far to hear and see the wonderful man of whom such things were reported, aud, if possible, to experience his healing goodness. Wherefore, when they beheld those effects of his power, they were exceedingly struck with them, and broke forth in praises of the God, by whose assistance and authority he acted and it may be, also, from that time forth devoted themselves to his worship.

The multitude above-mentioned continued, at this time, with Jesus, three days so Mark accidentally informs us; but he speaks nothing of the transactions which happened on them. Of these, Matthew has given a general account, in the passage just now explained. And now the multitude having, as on a former occasion, consumed all the psovision they brought with them, Jesus would not send them away without feeding them, lest they might have fainted on the road home, many of them having come from far. The disciples, who, it seems, were not thinking now of the former miraculous dinner, imagined that Jesus proposed to feed this great multitude in the natural way, and were greatly surprized at it. They did not reflect, it seems, upon the former miraculous dinner which Jesus had given to the multitude; or, if they did, they had such imperfect conceptions of his power, that they fancied he could not feed the multitude a second time. For these wrong notions Jesus did not reprove them, but meekly asked what meat they had; and, upon their telling him that they had seven loaves and a few little fishes, he ordered them to he brought, and cut of these made a second dinner for the multitude by miracle, few or none of them having, probably, been present at the former dinner. They seem to have been mostly such as followed Jesus from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and the neighbouring heathen country. This dinner was, in all respects, like to the first, except in the number of loaves and fishes, of which it was made; the number of persons who were present at it; and the number of baskets that were filled with the fragments that remained. The loaves made use of at this feast are seven; the fishes are said to have been little and few; the baskets of fragments that remained were seven; and the people who were fed were four thousand men, besides women and children, who, no doubt, were equal in number to, if not more than, the men. At this dinner the multitude were ordered to sit down, not on the grass, as on the former occasion, but on the ground, the grass being probably gone. Hence it has been conjectured, that the miracle was performed about the middle of the summer, the grass in Judea decaying very early, through the excessive heat of the climate. The weather, therefore, being good, and the air warm, the people could remain two or three nights successively in the fields. He gave thanks. for the fishes separately, and distributed them separately. The evangelists, having, in the history of the former dinner, described the manner in which the multitude was set down, thought it needless, on this occasion, to say any thing of that particular; probably, because they were ranged, as before, in companies, by hundreds, and by fifties. Matthew tells us, that, having fed the multitude, Jesus took a boat and passed over to the coasts of Magdala, in quest of more opportunities to instruct and heal mankind. Mark says, he came into the parts of Dalmanutha. But the evangelists may easily be reconciled, by supposing that Dalmanutha was a city and territory within the district. G g

sacourcst not the things that be of God, but of those that be of men. The appellation, Satan, should here be understood merely, as in a former instance, as denoting an adversary, one who, filled with the ideas of a carual kingdom, might, in a certain limited sense, be deemed an adversary to the pure and spiritual kingdom of Christ.

Because Peter's indecent behaviour proceeded from the love of the world and its pleasures, Christ thought proper publicly to declare that all his followers must not only deny themselves of every unlawful pleasure, but be contented to suffer many things for his name's sake. But, to encourage them to so hard a warfare, he further assured them, that he that would save his life should lose it; so he that should lose his life by dying for his sake, should find it in the everlasting salvation of his soul. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what, at the last great day, shall he give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, whosoever shall be ashamed to avow himself my follower in the midst of persecution, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works; reward him, not with the honours of a temporal kingdom, great offices, and large possessions, but with the joys of immortality. He shall come in his own glory, the glory peculiar to him as God-man ; probably, the majesty and splendour of his glorified body, a visible representation of which he exhibited in the transfiguration about a week after this discourse was delivered. He shall come, also, in the glory of the Father, augustly arrayed with the inaccessible light wherein God dwells; and which, darting through and enlightening all space with its ineffable brightness, shall make even the sun to disappear. Withal, to render his advent to judge the world the more grand, he will come with his holy angels, attended by the whole host, [Mat. xxv. 31]a vast train ready to execute his commands. In this majesty, the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, [1 Thes. iv. 16.] making heaven, earth, and hell, to resound. The dead of all countries and times hear the tremendous call. Hark! the living, filled with joy, exult at the approach of God; or, seized with inexpressible terror, send up doleful cries, and are all changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Behold! the dead press forth from their graves, following each other in close procession. The earth seems quick, and the sea gives up its dead. Mark the beauty, the boldness, and the gladness, of some springing up to honour but the ghastly countenances, the trembling, and the despair of others, arising to shame and everlasting contempt! See how amazed and terrified they look! with what vehemence they wish the extinction of their being! Fain would they fly, but cannot. Impelled by a force strong as necessity, they hasten to the place of judgment. As they advance, the sight of the tribunal from afar strikes new terror; they come on in the deepest silence, and gather round the throne by thousands of thousands. In the mean time, the angels, having brought up their bands from the uttermost parts of the earth, fly round the numberless multitude, singing melodiously with loud voices, for joy that the day of general retribution is come, when vice shall be thrown down from its high usurpation; virtue exalted from its debasement to its superior station; the intricacies of providence unravelled; the perfections of God vindicated; the church of God, purchased with his blood, cleared of them that do iniquity, and of every thing that offendeth, and established impeccable for ever. [Psalm lxviii. 1.] Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As war melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righ

teous be glad, let them rejoice before God, yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. [Rev xviii. 8. For strong is the Lord God who judgeth. And now the Son of man appears on the throne of his glory, and all nations, princes, warriors, nobles, the rich the poor, all stript of their train and attendance, and every external distinction, stand naked and equal before him, silently waiting to be sentenced to their unchangeable state. And every individual is filled with an awful consciousness that he in particular is the object of the observation of Almighty God, manifest in his sight, and actually under his eye; so that there is not one single person concealed in the immensity of the crowd. The Judge, who can be biassed by no bribes, softened by no subtle insinuations, imposed upon by no feigned excuses, having been himself privy to the most secret actions of each, needs no evidence, but distinguishes with an unerring certainty. He speaks! Come from among them my people, that ye receive not of their plagues. They separate. They feel their judge within them, and hasten to their proper places: the righteous on one hand of the throne, and the wicked on the other, not so much as one of the wicked daring to join himself with the just. Here the righteous, most beautiful with the brightness of virtue, stand serene in their looks, and full of hope, at the bar of God; a glad company whilst the wicked, confounded at the remerabrance of their lives, and terrified at the thought of what is come, hang down their heads, inwardly cursing the day of their birth, and wishing a thousand and a thousand times that the rocks would fall on them, and the mountains cover them but in vair for there is no escaping, nor appealing, from this tribunal. Behold, with mercy shining in his countenance, and mild majesty, the king invites the righteous to take possession of the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. But, with angry frowns, he drives the wicked away into punishment that shall have no end, no refreshment, no alleviation. Everlasting punishment! O the rejoicing! Q the lamenting! The triumphant shouting of ascending saints caught up in the clouds to be ever with the Lord! The horror, the despair, the hideous shrieking of the damned, when they see hell gaping, hear the devils roaring, and feel the unspeakable torment of an awakened conscience. Now they bitterly cry for death; but death flies from Now they envy the righteous, and gladly would be such; but all too late!Lo! the Son of God bows his head, the signal for his servants, the heavens and the earth, to depart, their work being at an end. See! with a terrible thundering noise, the heavens pass away, the elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and all the works that be therein, are burnt up! The frame of nature dissolves! Earth, seas, skies, all vanish together, making way for the new heaven and the new earth. It appears! The happy land of promise, formed by the hand of God, large, beautiful, and pleasant, a fit habitation for his favourite people, and long expected by them as their country. Here, all the righteous, great and small, are assembled, making one vast blessed society, even the kingdom, and the city of God. Here God manifests himself in a peculiar manner to his servants, and wipes away all tears from off their faces, and adorns them with the beauties of immortality, glorious to behold. they drink fulness of joys from the chrystal river proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, and eat of the tree of life. And there shall be no more death, Heither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. But every one, happy in himself, imparts the blessings to his fellows; for mutual love warms every breast, love, like that which subsists between the Father and the Son; mutual conference on the sublimest subjects; refreshes every spirit with the divine repasts of wisdom; and joys, flowing from the tenderest friendships, fixed on the stable foundation of an immoveable virtue, gladden every heart. All, the servants of God serve him in perfect holiness, see his face, feel transports of joy, and, by the reflection of

them.

Here

his glory, shine as the sun in the firmament for ever and ever. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they reign for ever and ever. Happy day! happy place! happy people! O blessed hope of joining that glorious society! All the servants of God shall serve him, and see his face. Serve God and see his face! what an immensity of felicity is here! Imagination faints with fatigue of stretching itself to comprehend the vast, the unmeasurable, thought.

Accord

And he said unto them, there are some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. You need not doubt that there shall be a day of judgment; for there are some here present that shall not die, before they see a faint representation of the glory with which I shall come, and an eminent example of my power exercised on the men of the present age. ingly, the disciples saw their Master coming in his kingdom, when they were witnesses of his transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension; had the miraculous gifts of the spirit conferred upon them; and lived to see Jerusalem, with the Jewish state, destroyed, and the gospel propagated through the greatest part of the then known

world.

About six days, if we reckon exclusively, and about eight days, if we reckon inclusively, after our Lord had accepted the title of Messiah, happening to be with his disciples and the multitude in the country of Cæsaria Philippi, he left them in the plain, and went up into an exceeding high mountain, with Peter, the most zealous, James, who was probably the most active, and John, the most beloved disciple. In this solitude, while Jesus was praying with the three, he was transfigured. His face now became radiant and dazzling; for it shone like the sun in its unclouded and meridian clearness: his garment acquired a snowy whiteness, sweetly refulgent, but, in a degree, inferior to the lustre of his countenance. Thus, for a little while, during his state of humiliation, the Son of God permitted the glory of his divinity to break forth and shine through the veil of his human nature, with which it was covered. Moreover, to heighten the grandeur and solemnity of the scene, Moses, the great law-giver of the Jews, and Elijah, who had been a most zealous defender of the law, appeared, dressed in all the beauties of immortality. The disciples were asleep when the transfiguration began, and thus lost the pleasure of hearing a part of the conversation. between the blessed Redeemer and these two glorious saints. In general, however, they heard enough to give them to understand that the subject they talked of was the atoning death of Jesus, by which he was about to redeem lost sinners to himself; a subject that had given great offence to the disciples, and, above all, to Peter, a few days before. Probably, the streams of light which issued from the body, and especially from the countenance of Christ, and the voices of Moses and Elias talking with him, made such an impression on the senses of the disciples, as awakened them from their sleep. Opening their eyes, they beheld, with unutterable amazement, their Master in the majesty of his transfigured state, and his illustrious attendants, whom they might know to be Moses and Elias, either by revelation, by what they said, or by the appellations which Jesus gave them when speaking to them. Peter, particularly, being both afraid and glad at the sight, was in the utmost confusion. Nevertheless, the forwardness of his disposition prompted him to say something, and he requested permission to build three tabernacles, one for our Lord, and one for each of these holy men; for he said it was good to remain there. Perhaps he now thought that the glorious reign of Messiah was at this instant begun, and intended to call up the multitude to behold the glory of his Lord. While he yet spake, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered into the cloud, their hopes being