Christ gives them leave to enter into a herd of swine, that we may enter into 367 lxx. Mark 12 And all the de- numerous in these parts %. And all the demons SECT. vils besought him, say- which had possessed this miserable creature (set ing, [If thou cast us out, send us [or suf- upon doing all the mischief that they could, fer us to go away] into though they were under such a sensible restraint, V. 12. the [herd of swine, and desirous to bring an odium upon Jesus as them. [MAT. VIII. the author of mischief) entreated him again, 31. LUKE VIII.—32.] saying to him, If thou art determined, after all we have said, that thou wilt cast us out of this man, send us, [or] give us leave to go away to the herd of swine which is feeding yonder, that we may enter into them; for we have no power 15 And forthwith of hurting even them without thy leave. And 13 Jesus gave them leave, immediately Jesus permitted them to do it; partly [and said unto them, Go.] And the unclean to punish those who dealt in so infamous a comspirits went out [LUKE modity, and chiefly to prove the reality of a of the man, and en- diabolical agency in these cases, and to display tered into the [herd of] swine and [behold], the malice of those evil spirits: he therefore the [whole] herd ran said unto them, You may go, since you desire it, violently down a steep and operate on those creatures as you please. were choked in the And upon this the unclean spirits went directly sea, [and perished in out of the man whom they had possessed, and the waters] and they entered into the herd of swine: and such was the sand. [MAT. VIII. 32. strange effect of their power, that, behold, the LUKE VIII.33.] whole herd immediately grew mad, and ran violently down a precipice into the sea', and were all suffocated place into the sea, and were about two thou g Which they sold to the Roman soldiers, and other Gentiles, &c.] The laws of Hyrcanus had indeed prohibited the Jews from keeping swine (which shews it had been much practised among them); but these Gadarenes who had so many Gentiles in the neighbourhood, having long been under Heathen government (Joseph. Antiq. Jud. lib. xv. cap. 7. (al. 11), § 3; & Bell. Jud. lib. i. cap. 20 (al. 15), § 3), and living in the extreme part of the country, presumed to do it, scandalous and illegal as the employment was. See Miracles of Jesus vindicated, p. 34, 35. monstrated at once the malice of Satan and The whole herd ran violently down a h To prove the reality of a diabolica! agency in these cases.] The cavils against this miracle are equally malicious and weak. Our Lord's permitting the evil spirits to enter into the swine was not properly sending them into those beasts or if he had done it, the punishment to the owners would have been just; or had it been less apparently so, his extraordinary character as a prophet, and the proof he gave of a Divine co-operation, would have set him above our censure in an action, the full reasons of which we might not perfectly have known.-But though tius solution is to me very satisfactory, it is not necessary to have recourse to it: for this action evidently appears both wise and gracious; inasmuch as it unanswerably de 368 The Gadarenes pray Jesus to depart from thence. SFCT. Suffocated in the sea, and perished in the waters *; 1xx. Mark being in number about two thousand. possessed of the devils.} And they went out to was done. [MAT. VIII. 33. LUKE VIII. 34, 35.-] see what it was that had the Legion, [out And the swine-herds, seeing what was done, fled 14 And they that fed the swine, [Luke, V. 14. in great amazement, some one way and some when they saw what another, and told all the story, both in the city and was done,] fied, and country; and circumstantially related what had told [every thing] in happened to the two demoniacs, and how the de- the city, and in the country, [and what mons had been ejected from them. And when was befallen to the the people heard it, they were so much impressed with the report, that they went out in crowds to see what was done, and to satisfy themselves, on the testimony of their own senses, as to the truth 15 of so unparalleled a fact. And when they came 15 And they come to Jesus, and saw the demoniac (even him that to Jesus, and see [the had been tormented by the legion, and out of man] that was possesswhom the demons were departed) calmly sitting at ed with the devil, and the feet of Jesus to receive his instructions, and of whom the devils now decently clothed and perfectly composed, as were departed,] sitting being restored to his right mind, they were [at the feet of Jesus,] struck with such a mixture of astonishment and right mind; and they reverence, that they were afraid of conversing were afraid. [Luks with so great a Prophet, and dreaded the farther VIII.—35.] effects of his power. (Compare Luke v. 8. 16 sect. xxxiv.) And they also who were present, that saw it, told them 16 And they [also] and had seen all that passed from the beginning, [by what means he gave them a particular account of [it] and told that was possessed of them, more largely than the swine-herds had the devils was healed,] done, by what means the demoniac had been re- the swine. covered; and also told them concerning the swine, VIII. 36.] how they had been so strangely destroyed by the apparent agency of those evil spirits by which the men had before been possessed. Mat. VIII. 34 and clothed, and in his and also concerning (LUKE MAT. VIII. 34 And behold, all the inhabitants of the whole city And behold, the whole of Gadara', as the rumour increased, came out to city came out to meet meet Jesus; [and] indeed the whole multitude of Jesus [LUKE, and the the country of the Gadarenes round about flocked whole multitude of the to see so wonderful a person: and when they saw renes round about :] him, they presently began, with all submission, to and when they saw entreat him that he would please to depart from him, they [began to of possessions absurd and dangerous, and And were all suffocated, and perished in them country of the Gada pray him] that he would kind, and to display the grace as well as power of Christ in every dispossession; in which view this circumstance appears to have been determined with great wisdom and goodness, though folly and perverseness have so strangely disguised it. 1 The whole city of Gadara.] Josephus describes it as a very considerable place. It was by the righteous judgment of God, the first Jewish city that fell into the hands of the Romans in the fatal war under Vespasian, and suffered great extremities. Joseph. Bell. Jud. lib. iv. cap. 7. (al. v. 3.) § 3, 4. See Wits. de Decem Trib. cap. 8. § 2. Lest The demoniac desires to go with him, but is sent home. 369 their coasts; [LUKE, : went up into the ship, and returned back a gain.] [MARK V. 17. LUKE VIII. 37.] would depart [LUKE, them out of their coasts; pretending that they, scr. from them] out of who had so great a number of Gentiles round lxx. for they were taken them, were not fit to receive so great and holy Mat. with great fear and he a person: for they unreasonably looked on him vIII. 34, as the author of the calamity which befel the swine, and were seized with great fear, lest he should send some farther judgments upon them, which they were sensible, the great irregularities of their behaviour well deserved : and he, by no means willing to obtrude his presence on those who were so insensible as not to desire it, went into the ship again, and returned back to the western shore of the sea. MARK V. 18. And when he was come in. ed,] prayed him that V. 18. Yet 19 And when he was come into the ship, the demo- Mark to the ship, he that had niac, out of whom the demons were now departed, been possessed with the fearing lest, after this (as it had been supposed of devil, [out of whom some, Mat. xii. 43-45, sect. Ixiii.) he might be the devils were depart in danger of a relapse, and, dreading the terrors he might be with him. of his former condition, entreated him that he [LUKE VIII. 38.-] might be allowed to continue with him, to enjoy 19 Howbeit, Jesus the farther benefit of his instructions. suffered him not, but [sent him away, sayJesus did not permit him to do it, but sent him ing, Return to thine away, saying, Return to thine own house, [and] own house, and] go go to thy friends and relations at home, and fail home to thy friends, not particularly to tell them how great things the things the Lord [God] Lord God of Israel, whose messenger I am, has hath done for thee, by his Almighty power performed for thee; and and hath had compas- how graciously he has had compassion on thee VIII-38, 39.-] in those deplorable circumstances which rendered thee a spectacle of horror to them, and all 20 And he departed, that saw thee. And upon this he went away, 20 and began to publish and began to publish through the whole city of [throughout the whole city, and] in Decapo- Gadara, in which he dwelt, [and] in all the lis, how great things neighbouring region of Decapolis, what great him; and all men did and wonderful things Jesus had done for him: marvel. [LUKE VIII. and all men were amazed at so stupendous a -39.] miracle. and tell them how great sion on thee. [LUKE Jesus had MAT. IX. 1. And And Jesus, having entered into the ship, de- Mat. he entered into a ship; parted thence as soon as the demoniac was IX. 1. and passed over, and came into his own city. dismissed: and, leaving those ungrateful people who had no greater value for his presence, he passed over the sea of Galilee, and shortly after came to his own city of Capernaum, where he had dwelt after his leaving Nazareth. (See Mat. iv. 13, p. 182. m Lest he should send some farther judgments upon them, &c.] Some have imagined, that they thought Christ a magician, and feared the effects of his art; but the Cause assigned in the paraphrase seems to me And much more decent, and, all things consi- Gladly 370 SECT lxx. Reflections on the power of Christ over Satan. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had passed over again in the ship to the other side of the lake, Mark he was no sooner landed, but a great multitude V. 21. gathered to him; [and] the people most gladly received him"; for they expected his speedy return, and were all impatiently waiting for him: and he continued some time on the sea-coast, teaching and working miracles. MARK V. 21. And it came to pass, that] when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him; [and the people gladly received him; for they were all waiting for him: and he was nigh unto the sea, [LUKE VIII. 40.] Mark V. 3, 13. IMPROVEMENT. FROM the remarkable story which is here before us, we must surely see the most apparent reason to adore the good providence of God, which restrains the malignant spirits of hell from spreading those desolations among beasts and men, which would otherwise quickly turn the earth into a wilderness, or rather into a chaos. But what matter of joy is it to reflect, that all their fury and rage 12 is under a Divine control, and that they cannot hurt even the meanest animal without permission from above! The unhappy creature, whose state is here described in such lively colours, is an affecting emblem of those who are in a spiri4,5 tual sense under the power of Satan. Thus do they break asunder the bonds of reason and gratitude, and sometimes of authority and even of shame ; and, thus driven on by the frenzy of their lusts and passions, they are so outrageous as to injure others and to wound themselves. Human attempts to moderate and reform them may 15 be vain; but let us remember that the Almighty Saviour has a voice, which can put this worst kind of demons to flight, and restore those that have been agitated by them to their right mind, so as so place them at his feet in holy composure, and in calm rational attention. 7 We see here a legion of devils trembling before the Son of God, confessing his superior power, howling as it were in their chains, and entreating the delay of their torments. And can human pride stand before him, and rebellious mortals triumph over him? Happy souls, that are listed under his banners! They shall share the victories of the great Captain of their salvation, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under their feet shortly. (Rom. xvi. 20.) 17 But oh, how stupid and how wretched were these Gadarenes who preferred their swine to their souls, and besought him to depart out of their coasts, whose presence was their defence and their glory! May Divine grace preserve us from a temper like theirs! And n Gladly received him.] This Grotius has observed to be the mcaning of the word may (dil), and in this sense it may like wise be understood, Acts xv. 4, and xviii. 27, Christ is entertained by Matthew. 371 SECT. lxx. thay those of us, who have ourselves experienced the restoring power of Christ and his gospel, be engaged to adhere to our great Benefactor and gratefully to devote those powers to his service, Mark which he has rescued from dishonour, mischief, and ruin! SECT. LXXI. Christ, being entertained at Matthew's house, justifies his conversing with publicans and sinners; and vindicates his disciples for not keeping so many fasts as the Pharisees and the disciples of John did. Mat. IX. 10-17. Mark II. 15-22. Luke V. 29, to the end. LUKE V. 29. LUKE V. 29. Jesus and his disci V.18,20. lxxi. AND Levi made him NOW, after Jesus had continued for a while on SECT. the sea-shore (as was observed, Mark v. 21,) own house: [MARK, and it came to pass, he entered into Capernaum: and Matthew, or Luke that as Jesus sat at Levi, who dwelt there, and who had some time V. 29. meat, [behold,] a since been called from his former office of a pubgreat company of publicans [and sinners lican into the number of his stated attendants came, and] [MARK, (see sect. xlv. p. 249), desirous at once to shew sat also together with his respects to Christ, and to give his former ples,] and others; companions and acquaintance an opportunity [MAT. for there were of enjoying his instructive conversation, made a many, and they follow- great entertainment for him in his own house: ed him.] MAT. IX. 10. MARK II. 15. and it came to pass that, as Jesus sat at table there, behold, a great number of the publicans, and such as had the general character of sinners, being invited by Matthew, came, and sat also at the table with Jesus and his disciples; and several others at that time were present; for there were many of the character above described in Christ's train (compare Mat. xi. 12, and Luke xv. 1), and they followed him with great eagerness, being charmed with the condescension with which A great entertainment for him in his own house.] Nothing has perplexed the generality of harmonies more, and nothing has thrown the authors of them into greater inconsistency with the sacred writers, than their taking it for granted, that Matthew made this entertainment on the very day that Christ called him to attend upon him. The early harmonies of Tatian and Ammonius very justly separated them. (Sce Chemnit. Harm, cap. 43.) And, to the many convincing argutnents which Mr. Jones has brought to prove, that they ought to be separated (which see in his Vindication of Matthew, p. 129-137), I will add, that it seems to me very evi, dent, they were not both on the same day, from this consideration (so obvious, that I wonder none should have mentioned it): he so many things happened before the calling |