were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

36 And Simon, and they that

he did even on this day, ver. 21, 25, yet the people did not bring their sick until sunset, or the end of the Sabbath, because they considered such labor for bidden by the Law. Devils. The word used here should always be translated demons. See note on Mark ch. v.

33. City was gathered. There was a general rush of people, to see the person of whom such wonderful things had been reported. See note on Matt. iii. 5.

34. Suffered not the devils to speak, &c. Rather, demons. The time had not yet come when Jesus would assert his Messiahship. He chose to exhibit the proofs, rather than assert the fact. He forbade any proclamation of this kind to be made. See notes on Matt. ix. 30; xvi. 20.

35-38. See Luke iv. 42, 43.

35. Rising up a great while before day, he went out, &c. "When it was day, he departed." Luke iv. 42. The difference between the two accounts is not material. Either (1.) both may refer to the time when light began to appear, or day-break, when, in one sense, it was day, and in another sense it was a great while before day, or before the full light of day appeared; or (2.) Jesus might have risen some length of time before he departed to the solitary place; for Mark does not assert that he went immediately out. And there prayed. Our Lord spent much of his time in prayer. And it is remarkable, that, almost uniformly, he departed even from his disciples, and sought perfect solitude and secrecy when he thus communed with his heavenly Father. He also enforced on his followers the duty especially of secret prayer. Matt. vi. 5, 6. He engaged in social prayer, John ch. xvii., and left us an example to be imitated. But, both by precept and example, he represented secret prayer as the more efficacious and profitable,

were with him, followed after him.

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.

39 And he preached in their

en

And shall any disciple of the holy Jesus fail to imitate and obey him? If he found spiritual benefit in frequent prayer to God, with whom he joyed such intimate communion, much more should we strive for such benefit, who are so widely separated by our sins from the fountain of holiness. We should esteem it one of our highest privileges, that, on all occasions, we are permitted to approach the altar of grace,-presenting an offering of thanksgiving for mercies received, and imploring grace to assist in every time of need. If we rightly regard our own welfare and happiness, we shall not neglect this privilege; but wherever and however we may be situated, we shall hold frequent communion with God in prayer, and we shall find our souls strengthened to enjoy or to endure whatever may be allotted to us by his providence.

36. Simon. Simon Peter. They that were with him. Andrew, James, and John, and perhaps others. These four had already been called to be apostles, ver. 16-20; and from ver. 29, it would seem that no more had then been chosen. But see John i. 43-51.

37. All men seek thee. There was a general anxiety to see and hear. The minds of men were excited by the miracles of Jesus; they thought he might be the Messiah; and they were desirous to hear him speak. See note on ver. 28, 33.

38. Next towns. Towns in the vicinity of Capernaum, from which the people were flocking to him. He would carry the gospel to their own homes, and not, by confining his ministry to one place, subject them to so much inconvenience. Therefore came I forth. The great object for which Jesus came into the world was to reveal the true character of God and the destiny of men. This he did, by his preaching and by his example. But, in some

synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him,

I will; be thou clean.

42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to 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.

way, to make known the riches of divine grace, and bear witness to the truth, was his great employment. See John xviii. 37.

39. See note on Matt. iv. 23. T Cust out devils. Or, demons. That is, healed diseases supposed by the Jews to be occasioned by demons. See note on ch. v.

40-45. See notes on Matt. viii. 1-4. See also an account of the same miracle, Luke v. 12—15.

45. No more openly enter into the city, &c. The city or town, here named, was near Capernaum; perhaps Bethsaida or Chorazin. See Matt. xi. 21.

He could not enter because it was inconvenient to accommodate or address such crowds, in a thickly-populated town. He therefore retired to the wilderness or open country, where there was sufficient room for all who chose to assemble.

CHAPTER II.

1-14. Parallel with Matt. ix. 2-9, and Luke v. 17-28.

1. After some days. We have no means to determine the precise duration of time; but in this interval, between the healing of the leper and the return

45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

CHAPTER II.

AND again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door : and he preached the word unto them.

3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press,

to Capernaum, Matthew (viii. 23-34) places the visit to the country of the Gergesenes, or Gadarenes, recorded by Mark, v. 1-20. It was noised. was reported; the fact became extensively known.

It

2. Not so much as about the door. Our Lord probably sat in the open court, in the centre of the house, ínto which the people crowded until it be came full; the passage into it became full also, and many could not obtain admission. T Preached the word. That is, the gospel; called the word by way of eminence, as the Scriptures are called the Book, or Bible, for such is the signification of the word Bible; sometimes called the word of the kingdom, Matt. xiii. 19, because it has such intimate connexion with the kingdom of the Messiah; sometimes, the word of God, 1 Thess. ii. 13, because it is a revelation from him; sometimes, word of salvation, Acts xiii. 26; word of grace, Acts xx. 32; of reconciliation, 2 Cor. v. 19; of life, Phil. ii. 16; of righteousness, Heb. v. 13; for similar rea

:

5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

8 And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house.

12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

13 And he went forth again by

four. Carried by four men, on a couch. He was utterly helpless.

12. We never saw it on this fashion. "We have seen strange things to-day." Luke v. 26. We have never seen any power equal to this.

13. The sea-side. That is, by the sea of Galilee, upon the north-westerly shore of which, Capernaum was situ

ated.

14. Levi, the son of Alpheus. The same as Matthew, who was an apostle, and wrote the gospel bearing his name. See note on Matt. ix. 9. It was not unusual among the Jews to have two

names.

them.

14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him,

15 And it came to pass, that as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and they followed him.

16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole, have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

18 And the disciples of John, and of the Pharisees, used to fast: and they come, and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John, and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have

15-22. See notes on Matt. ix. 1017. See also Luke v. 29-38. ¶ Sat at meat. Rather, reclined. The meaning is simply, while he was eating, A feast had been prepared by Matthew, or Levi, as he is here called, perhaps on the occasion of abandoning his former employment, and devoting himself henceforth to the service of Jesus. Luke v. 29. At this feast were present many publicans, who were very obnoxious to the Pharisees, and with whom they held it was improper to associate. See note on Matt. v. 46.

23-28. See notes on Matt. xii. 1– 8. See also Luke vi. 1-5.

20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment : else the new piece that filled it up, taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred but new wine must be put into new bottles.

23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn-fields on 26. In the days of Abiathar the high priest. The transaction here referred to is recorded, 1 Sam. xxi. 1-9. It seems the high priest at that time was Abimelech, the father of Abiathar. Various reasons have been assigned, why the son is here named instead of the father. That which seems most probable is the following: Abiathar succeeded his father Abimelech as high priest, held the office many years during the reign of David, and was much more eminent than his father. It was as natural for the Jews to associate the names of David and Abiathar, as for the readers of English history thus to associate Charles the Second with Archbishop Laud. In this case, the evangelist gives the title of high priest to Abiathar by anticipation. The event happened in the days of Abiathar, who, though he had not then received the office, was familiarly known to the Jews as Abiathar the high priest. Such anticipation of titles is by no means unusual even now.

27. The Sabbath was made for man. It was made for his benefit, not for his injury; for his comfort, not for his affliction. As a day of rest, it affords relief from toil, and furnishes opportunity for the over-tasked energies of the body to become recruited. As a day of meditation and religious worship, it calls off the attention from worldly cares and anxieties, at stated intervals,

24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath-day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was a hungered, he and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat, but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and and invites consideration of spiritual truths. "It was a kind provision for man, that he might refresh his body by relaxing his labors; that he might have undisturbed time to seek the consolations of religion to cheer him in the anxieties and sorrows of a troubled world; and that he might render to God that homage which is most justly due to him as the Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, and Redeemer of the world. And it is easily capable of proof, that no institution has been more signally blessed to man's welfare, than the Christian Sabbath."-Barnes. ¶ And not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath exerts a happy influence on man; but man produces no effect on the Sabbath. Man was first created; the Sabbath was afterwards instituted for his benefit. It was never designed that man should be bound, hand and foot, for the sake of the Sabbath. But his good, his good on the whole, his highest good, is what was designed by the institution; and, therefore, whenever its institutions interfere with that good, they may be disregarded. For example: it is one of its general and most prominent institutions, that, during the day, servile labor shall be avoided. Yet, in cases of severe sickness, an exact observance of this rule would be prejudicial to the sick, and perhaps endanger life. This was not the design of the Sabbath. And it is lawful, in such a case, to labor

not man for the sabbath:

lawful to do good on the sabbath.

CHAPTER III.

or to kill? but they held their peace.

5 And when he had looked

synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath-day; that they might accuse him.

3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4 And he saith unto them, Is it

according to the necessity of the case, for the preservation of life, or the alleviation of pain. See Matt. xii. 10-12. And in the particular case to which Jesus referred, it was more conformable to the spirit of the Sabbath, that his disciples should rub, or separate from chaff, the kernels of grain which they had plucked, and eat them,--so that they might enjoy quiet of body and mind, than that they should so punctiliously regard the letter, as to remain in a starving condition the whole day, unfit alike for the worship of God or profitable self-examination and improvement. But let it never be forgotten, that, though the law of the Sabbath must be explained in a manner consistent with the highest human good, on the whole, yet this furnishes no excuse for an unnecessary violation of its provisions. And whoever unnecessarily devotes that day to labor, which should be to him a day of rest, or spends those hours in amusements or vicious indulgences, which should be devoted to the worship of God and spiritual self-culture, sins against his own highest interests, loses the benefit the institution was designed to produce, and renders himself subject to the retribution which is certain to follow the violation of spiritual or natural laws.

28. Therefore the Son of man, &c. See note on Matt. xii. 8. It may be observed, that our Lord has given no special directions in what manner the Sabbath shall be observed; but from his example, and that of his apostles

being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and

and the early Christians, we may safely conclude that they devoted the day to works of necessity and mercy, to meditation and prayer, and to the worship of God. It should so be devoted by all Christians.

CHAPTER III.

1-5. See notes on Matt. xii. 9-13. See also Luke vi. 6-10.

5. With anger. Not that passionate emotion which prompts to evil; but rather such an indignant feeling as that occasion was suited to excite. An unfortunate man was present, needing relief. The Jews watched our Lord, that they might accuse him. He knew their feelings and designs. He questioned them, whether it were lawful to do good on the Sabbath. But they held their peace. They dared not deny, and they would not confess the lawfulness of doing good on that day. Perceiving their hardness of heart, their inveterate inclination to evil, Jesus was grieved, and an emotion was excited which is called anger. Such anger is not sinful; for it leads to renewed exertions to soften the hard heart of sinners, and to turn them from the error of their ways. Thus Jesus did not attempt to injure these Jews, but publicly, in their presence, performed another miracle, that they might have further evidence of his Messiahship.

6. See Matt. xii. 14; Luke vi. 11. T Herodians. See note on Matt. xxii.

16. 7-12. See notes on Matt. xii. 15, 16.