Mark i. 34. suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him, Galilee.
Luke iv. 41. that he was Christ.
Mark i. 35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day,

sin, would naturally be looked to as removing by what he was
to perform, its temporal effects; and thus the mention of the
one would reasonably connect with that of the other, the whole
of the prophetic representation becoming, as Kennicott hap-
pily expresses it, « Descriptio Messiæ benevolentissime et
agentis et patientis." (Diss. Gen. 9. 79.)

That the evangelist on the other hand, though speaking more
immediately of bodily diseases, should at the same time quote
that member of the prophecy, which related to the more impor-
tant part of Christ's office, that of saving men from their sins,
will appear equally reasonable, if it be recollected that the sole
object in referring to the prophet concerning Jesus, was to
prove him to be the Messiah; and that the distinguishing cha-
racter of the Messiah was to give knowledge of salvation unto
the people by the remission of their sins (Luke i. 77.) So that
the evangelist may be considered as holding this leading cha-
racter primarily in view ; and, at the same time, that he marks
to the Jews the fulfilment of one part of the prophecy, by the
healing of their bodily distempers, he directs their attention to
that other greater object of our Saviour's mission, on which the
prophet had principally enlarged, namely, the procuring for-
giveness of their sins by his sufferings. And thus the present
fulfilment of the prophecy was at the same time a designation of
the person, and a pledge of the future more ample completion
of the prediction. Cocceius gives this excellent explanation of
the passage in question: "He bath taken on himself (suscepit)
our sorrows, or sufferings, eventually to bear them away, as he
has now testified by the carrying away our bodily distem-

If, after all that has been said, any doubt should yet remain,
as to the propriety of thus connecting together, either in the
prophet, or in the evangelist, the healing of diseases, and the
forgiveness of sins, I would beg of the reader to attend particu-
larly to the circumstance of their being connected together
frequently by our Lord himself. Thus he says to the sick of
the palsy, when he healed bim, " thy sins be forgiven thee"
(Matt. ix. 2.) And that bodily diseases were not only deemed
by the Jews, but were in reality, under the first dispensation,
in many instances the punishment of sin, we may fairly in fer
from John v. 14. where Jesus said to him whom he had made
whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. It
should be observed also, that what in Mark iv. 12. is expressed,
and their sins should be forgiven them, is given in Matt. xiii.
15. and I should heal them. See also James v. 15, and Isaiah
xxxjii. 24. and observe the maledictions against the transgres-
sors of the law, in Deut. xxviii. 21. See also Grot. on John v.
14. and Pole's Syn. on Matt. ix. 2.

None will think this extract too long, who are aware of the
great importance of the subject in discussion. The researches
of this learned writer afford another proof, if any were wanting,
that in proportion to the extent of inquiry and the increase of
our knowledge will ever be the confirmation of the great doc-
trine of the atonement and the divinity of Christ. It is sin-
cerely to be hoped that no theological student will permit his
library to be unprovided with this valuable work.

pers.”

Mark i. 35. he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there Galilee.

prayed.
36. And Simon, and they that were with him, followed

after him.
Mark i. 37. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All

men seek for thee.
38. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns,

that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. Luke iv.42. And the people sought him, and came unto him, and

stayed him that he should not depart from them.
43. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of

God to other cities also ; for therefore am I sent.
Matt.iv. 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their

synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of dis-

ease among the people.
24. And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they

brought unto him all sick people that were taken with
divers diseases and torments, and those which were pos-
sessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and

those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25. And there followed him great multitudes of people from

Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and
from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

NATT. viii. 16.
16 When the even was comc, they brought unto him mapy
that were possessed with devils.

MARK I. part of ver. 34. and ver. 39.
34 And he healed many-and cast out many devils; and
39 And he preached in their synagogues, throughout all Ga-
lilee, and cast out devils,

LUKE iv. part of ver. 40, 41, 42, and ver. 44.
40 Now when the sun-brought them unto him-
41 -suffered them not to speak: for they knew
42 And when it was day, he departed, and went into a desart
place-

44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

SECTION X.

Christ cures a Leper.
MATT. viii. 2-4. MARK I. 40. to the end. LUKE V, 12-16.
Luke v. 12.

And it came to pass when he was in a certain city,
behold,

27 The arguments of Newcome and Lightfoot have principally induced me to give this place to the cure of the leper, contrary to the authority of Doddridge, who has preferred tho order of St. Matthew's Gospel, and arranged it after the sermonon the mount. The expression in St. Matthew's Gospel, on which this opinion is founded, is in Matt. viii. 1. karabávri dè

Mark i. 40. there came a leper to him

Galilee. Lake v. 12. a man full of leprosy, who seeing Jesus, Mark i, 40, and kneeling down to him, beseeching him, Lake v. 12. fell on his face Matt viii. 2. and worshipped him, Lake v. 12. and besought him, Mark i. 40. and saying unto him, Matt. viii.2. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Mark i, 41. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his handy

αυτό από του όρους-and και ιδού. The same expression has in-
duced Mr. Jones, in his vindication of St. Matthew's Gospel, to
conclude that this Evangelist had observed the due order of
time. But Archbishop Newcome justly observes, that accord-
ing to St. Luke this miracle was performed in a certain city,
Luke v, 12. and that the expression in Matt. viii. 1. refers only
to the multitudes following him: and the words kai idoù are
only used as an introductory pbrase for the better transition from
one part of the bistory to another. Many, expressions appa
rently fixing the time of events must be considered in this point
of view, such as ιδών δέ-και εγένετο, και ελθών, και προσελθών,
εισελθόντι δέ, περιπατών δε, και ανοίξας το στόμα-τότε, μετά
ταυτα, ον, εν ταις ημέραις εκείναις, εν μια των ημερών (α).

It may be observed also in support of the arrangement now
adopted, that our Lord would not have said to the leper, if he
had performed the cure in the presence of the great multitudes
that followed him as he came down from the mount-See thou
tell no man-neither is it probable that the leper, being so
utterly unclean, would be found among the crowd.

Lightfoot also has remarked, that sť. Matthew was solicitous to proceed at once to the Sermon on the Mount, for which purpose he mentions several miracles together, without attending to the order in which they took place. Eichhorn has observed the same order. There does not appear to be sufficient reason for supposing that two lepers were cleansed.

Both among Jews and Gentiles the leprosy has been consi. dered as a most expressive emblem of sin, the properties and circumstances of the one pointing out those of the other. Tho leprosy, like sin, begins with a spot-a simple hidden infection -soon spreading over the whole body, and communicating its contagious nature to every thing which it can either touch or influence.

This disorder was deemed incurable by mere human means. Among the Jews God alone was considered able to remove it, and its cure was uniformly attributed to Divine Power. In like manner the contagion of sin, its guilt and its consequences, can only be removed by the hand of God: all means without his especial influence can be of no avail.

In effecting the cure, our Lord asserted his sovereignty, by the phrase

I will—bé thou clean.” Our Saviour begins by
prefiguring his power to forgive sin in its fullest extent by the
cure of the leper- he soon afterwards publicly proclaims it in
the case of the sick of the palsy, when he said but that ye
may know that the Son of mau hath power on earth to forgive
sin,” &c.

(a) Chemnitius Harm. proleg. p. 17, 18. Jones' vindication of Sta
Matthew's Gospel-apud Newcome's notes to the Harmony, p. 14.,

Mark i. 41. and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou Galilee.

clean.
42. And as soon as he he had spoken, immediately the le-

prosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
Matt. viii. 4. And Jesus saith unto him,
Mark i. 44. See thou say nothing unto any man, but go thy way,

shew thyself to the priest, and offer, for thy cleansing,
those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony

unto them 28
43. And he straightway charged him, and forthwith sent

him away.

45.

But he went out and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter,

28 Christ commanded the leper not to tell any man till he had shewn himself to the priest, as a testimony unto them. He charges the man to be silent, on the subject of his cure, that the jealousy of the Romans, or of the Jewish rulers, should not be excited, and that his ministry should not be disturbed and interrupted by the clamors of the people, who sometimes in their zeal endeavoured to make him a king. He directed him also to the priest, and to offer the usual giit. In the Levitical law it was the office of the priest alone to cure this disease. The man was sent, therefore, that the pricst might look upon him, and declare him clean, and thus a legal proof might be given to the people, and a testimony be afforded to the priests themselves, that a greater than the priest was among them, who could heal all diseases by a word, and even the disease of the leprosy. But is the leper who had been cured had told the priest, before he was pronounced clean, that he had been healed by our Saviour, his jealousy might have refused to acknowledge the completion of the cure: and the man was therefore charged to be silent. Our Lord could not have offered a more evident proof of his divinity than this cure of the leper, for there was a prevalent tradition among the Jews, that when the Messialı should appear he should heal the leprosy.

As some objections have been proposed concerning the propriety of our Lord's conduct in commanding the man whom he had cured of his leprosy to keep silence on the subject, I would direct the attention of the reader to the following admirable observations of the learned Witsius.

Si ad ea quæ sequuntur attendamus, manifestum fiet, non esse indictum huic homini perpetuum silentium; sed duntaxat usquo dum purgationcm sui purgasset sacerdotibus, eamque testatam fecisset doni imperati oblatione. Nimirum non modo volebat Jesus divinæ legis retinens videri, quod erat revera : sed et miraculo suo fidem fieri ab ipsis sacerdotibus, et tum demum illud publicari. Ut autem fides ei fieret a sacerdotibus, præveniendi erant antequam famaaniraculi in Galilæa; facti ad Hierosolymitanorum aures perveniret, ne sacerdotes, quorum ea notio erat, invidiæ veneno tacti, aut leprosum eum fuisse, aut a lepra bona fide curatum esse, negarent. Ideo eum Jesus {vOews ibale, protinus facessere jussit, ne fama anteverteret, et silentium imperavit, donec se sacerdoti explorandum stitisset, et permissum ipsi esset munus suum offerre; quod non Jicebat nisi post solemnem sacerdotis declarationem. Ab eo tempore fas sanato fuit in urbem ingredi, &c. &c. &c.-Witsii, Meletemat. Leidensia, Dissert. v. p. 253.

Like v. 16. But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Galilee.

him, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to

be healed by him of their infirmities, Mark i. 45. insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the

city, but was without in desart places :
Luke v. 16. and he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed ;
Mark i, 45, and they came to him from every quarter.

MATT. viii. part of ver. 2. ver. 3. and part of ver. 4.
2 And behold, there came a leper-
3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I
will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansod.

4 See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the
priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony
unto them.

MARK I. part of ver. 40, and 44.
40 -and-if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
44 And saith unto him

LUKE iv. part of ver. 12. and vcr. 13, 14.
12 saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I
will; be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed
from him.

14 And he charged him to tell no man : but go and shew thy-,
self to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as
Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

SECTION XI.
The Paralytic cured; and the power of Christ to forgive

sins asserted.
MATT. ix. 2-8. MARK ii. 1-12. LUKE V. 17-26.

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days: Capernaum. and it was noised that he was in the house.

Mark ii. 1.

29 Where the Harmonists are all agreed in the arrangement of any particular event, which very frequently occurs, it will only be necessary to refer the reader to those Harmonists, by whose authority I am principally directed.

The cure of the sick of the palsy is placed aster that of the
leper mentioned in Matt. viii. 2, 3, 4. by Doddridge, Newcome,
Lightfoot, Pilkington, Eichhorn, and Bishop Richardson,
apud Usher's Annals, p. 821. For the reasons why the order of
St. Mark and St. Luke is adopted here, instead of that of St.
Matthew, vide Doddridge, Fam. Exp. vol. i. p.

245.
Mark connects this story with that of the leper ; the word
{vdéws, says Archbishop Newcome, fixes the order, (Mark ii. 2.)
St. Luke does not specify the time, and St. Mattbew, who seems
to have deferred the narration of many facts, that the sermon on
the mount might be introduced early to the Jewish reader, to
whom he particularly addressed his Gospel, places several
events between the cure of the leper and the paralytic. St.
Luke relates the cure as happening only on a certain day,
εγένετο εν μιά των ημερών.

Our Lord'asserts here, for the first time, his power to forgive