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21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And oft-times it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the

to afflict those of mature years. It seldom attacks, for the first time, any person thirty years old, or upwards.

22. If thou canst do any thing, &c. The father had doubts. The disease was so inveterate, baffling all previous efforts for its cure, and the disciples even having failed to remove it, ver. 18, 28, that he doubted whether the power of Jesus himself were sufficient to give relief.

23. If thou canst believe, &c. It is not to be supposed that the faith of the father could have any influence on the son's disease. He had already brought his son to Jesus. His faith could do no more. Yet Jesus exhorted him to believe, or to exercise faith; and as an encouragement, assured him that all things were possible, or, in other words, that he had power to restore the young man's health and that he would do it.

people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said he is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he

arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them, This

iously looked for the event which should at once perform that work, and restore to his arms a dearly-beloved son, who had long endured a living death. Many an afflicted and sorrowful soul has realized similar sensations, when pouring forth prayers and supplications to God, on behalf of a sick friend. Firmly believing that his power is sufficient to restore, yet doubtful whether it may be consistent with his purpose to exert that power, how ardently and with what agony of spirit has man exclaimed, "Lord I believe: help thou mine unbelief!" How mightily has he struggled for that fulness of faith which should enable him to adopt the language of our blessed Lord, "not my will, but thine, be done." Such is the only faith which can sustain, in the utmost extremity, faith in the infinite goodness of God; faith, that God's way is the best way; that he will bring 24. The father of the child cried out, good out of apparent evil, and make all &c. How perfectly characteristic is things work together for the good of the scene here described! The father, his children. If this be attained, we full of anxiety for the welfare of his may receive with true gratitude the his "only child," Luke ix. 38, pre-blessing for which we ask, or submit sented him to Jesus, for the exercise without repining, if God sees good to of his healing power; yet, doubtful withhold it. whether relief could be obtained, he 25. Enter no more into him. wept from the fulness of his heart. He added this, lest a suspicion should reprofessed belief in the Saviour's power; main that the paroxysm had ceased yet conscious of the doubts which har- spontaneously, and would return at the rowed his soul, he prays, help thou end of a month."- -Rosenmüller. The mine unbelief; as much as to say, re- paroxysms of this disease ordinarily move mine unbelief, or, increase my cease almost as suddenly as they comfaith. He desired that his own mind mence. But, when the periodical seamight be confirmed in faith, and anx-son of its access should return, it might

son,

"He

kind can come forth by nothing, the greatest. but by prayer and fasting.

30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house, he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be

have been feared that the lad would again be afflicted, had not our Lord thus given assurance that he had wrought a permanent cure.

30-32. See notes on Matt. xvii. 22, 23.

30. He would not that any man should know it. He desired to spend a season in preparation for the severe trial which was near at hand, ver. 31.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbade him, because he followeth not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name,

er Jesus had over such diseases, and to have made use of his name under the belief that it might contribute to success. It should not be forgotten, that the disease, then as well as now, sometimes yielded to medical treatment, or was cured, even by those who were adversaries of our Lord. Matt. xii. 27. The difference between them and our Lord was this: they accomplished a cure, gradually, by natural means; he performed his work, instantaneously, by supernatural means.

32. Afraid to ask him. Either because they dreaded to know what they began to fear; or, more probably, because they were unwilling to confess their ignorance, which Jesus had al-ginal word, dunamis, (Svraμıç,) is often ready more than once denominated hardness of heart.

33-37. See notes on Matt. xviii. 1-5. See also Luke ix. 46-48.

35. If any man desire to be first, &c. See this precept, more at large, Matt. xx. 25-28; Mark x. 42-45.

38-40. Parallel with Luke ix. 49,

39. Miracle in my name.

The ori

translated miracle; but it has not necessarily this signification. It means power, and by a figure of speech is put for an action performed by mighty power, whether natural or supernatural; and often it signifies power itself, whether of men or of God. Thus it is applied to the divine power, Matt. vi. 13; xxii. 29; to human power, trans38. Casting out devils in thy name. lated ability, Matt. xxv. 15; to the mirVarious opinions have been expressed acles of Jesus, translated mighty works, concerning this person. Some suppose Matt. xi. 20, 21, 23; to an extraordinary him to have been a Jewish exorcist; natural operation, translated strength, others, a disciple who believed in Je- Heb. xi. 11. It may mean a miracle, sus, but followed not in his company. in this place, or it may be used in its But whoever he may have been, he more general sense. The meaning is, seems to have heard what mighty pow-that no man who performed a mighty

50.

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work, whether strictly miraculous or not, calling on the name of Jesus, would at the same time speak evil of him; but would rather speak in his favor, and call the attention of the people to him and his doctrine. And so far as he succeeded in healing diseases of the body or mind, and relieving human distress, he was engaged in a work of benevolence, and Jesus would not have him forbidden or prohibited.

40. He that is not against us, is on our part. He who hinders not the progress of the gospel, but rather labors, according to its merciful spirit, in accomplishing any of its gracious designs, is to be accounted a friend, not an enemy. It were well if the followers of Jesus were not quite so unwilling that others should do good, who are not called by their name.

41. See note on Matt. x. 42. 42. See note on Matt. xviii. 6. 43-50. See notes on Matt. v. 22, 29, 30; xviii. 8, 9.

43. Hell. The same word, gehenna, which occurs in Matt. v. 22. See note there. Fire that never shall be quenched. This phrase is substantially repeated in ver. 44, 45, 46, 48. The word answering to never shall be quenched, ver. 43, 45, is asbeston; (oßeorov;) but in ver. 44, 46, 48, the phrase is ou sbennutai, (ov oßivrvta,) translated not quenched; of which, the former is an adjective, derived from the latter, though it is translated as a verb in the future tense; the latter is a verb. The worm and the fire are here added as characteristics and aggravations of gehenna, ver. 43; and the whole description is metaphorical, and, by the use of lively and terrible figures, denotes a state of awful misery. So far, I suppose, all agree. But whether that misery be temporary or endless, is yet a question in dispute. The terins here used, therefore, should be well considered; because the question itself is of vital consequence.

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The adjective, used in ver. 43, 45, occurs in the passages cited below from Strabo, Plutarch, Josephus, and Eusebius. "Strabo, the celebrated geographer, speaking of the Parthenon, a temple at Athens, says, 'In this was the inextinguishable or unquenchable lamp,' by which he simply means the lamp which was kept contínually burning, but which was extinguished or quenched, ages ago. Plutarch, the well known author of the biographies, familiarly termed 'Plutarch's Lives,' calls the sacred fire of the temple unquenchable fire, though, he says, in the very next sentence, they had sometimes gone out. Josephus, speaking of a festival of the Jews, says that every one brought fuel for the fire of the altar which continued always unquenchable,' although it had actually ceased, and the altar itself had been destroyed with the temple, at the time he wrote. Eusebius, the father of ecclesiastical history, describing the martyrdom of several Christians at Alexandria, says, 'They were carried on camels through the city, and in this elevated position were scourged, and finally consumed in unquenchable fire,' though it could not have burned, probably, more than an hour or two at the most. These authors, writing in their own tongue, or a language with which they were perfectly familiar, must have known, most assuredly, the value and import of the phrase 'unquenchable fire;' and it is as clear as demonstration can make it, that they did not understand it to mean endless." Univ. Expos. (N. Ser.) vol. iv., pp. 338, 339. The scriptural usage of the word is similar. It often occurs, where it cannot be understood to indicate an endless burning. The adjective is not found in the Old Testament; nor does it occur in the New, except in the passage under consideration, and Matt. iii. 12, and the parallel place, Luke iii. 17. And that unquenchable does not mean endless in the two places, last

enter into life maimed, than having | two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to named, see note on Matt. iii. 12. But the verb, here used in ver. 44, 46, 48, and from which the adjective is derived and has its force, occurs several times in the Old Testament. Its usage may show in what manner the Jews understood it when applied to fire. See Isa. i. 31; xxxiv. 10; lxvi. 24; Jer. iv. 4; vii. 20; xvii. 27; xxi. 12; Ezek. xx. 47, 48; Amos v. 6. In all these cases, though punishment be indicated by the fire, yet the unquenchableness of that fire does not denote that the punishment shall be endless; for the judgments were to be executed on the earth, and their end is manifest. The same word occurs, Ezek. xxxii. 7, where it is translated cover. This, however, being its positive form, does not clearly indicate its force, when used negatively. The same is true of several other passages where the word occurs, and which I therefore omit. But the same word is applied to the sacred fire, in a manner which more clearly, if possible, demonstrates the fact that it does not denote endless. "And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burntoffering in order upon it: and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." Lev. vi. 12, 13. It is worthy of remark, that Josephus, as before quoted, calls this fire by the same name, unquenchable, although, when he wrote, it had already been put out and effectually quenched.

So much in regard to the general usage of these words. But it is agreed, on all hands, that this passage in Mark has special reference to Isa. lxvi. 24, and that its peculiar forms of expression are taken from that place, almost literally. And, as our Lord gives no intimation to the contrary, we are justified in the belief that he used the language in the same sense as the prophet. To what kind of fire, then, did Isaiah refer? and to what kind of punishment?

enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched : 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to "And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have

transgressed against me; for their worme shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." Isa. lxvi. 23, 24. This, it will be observed, was to be accomplished, while sabbaths and newmoons continued; and while men built houses, and planted vineyards, and occupied them, as appears by comparing ch. lxv. 17-22, with lxvi. 22-24. The "learned Gataker" thus speaks of the fire and the worm: "The prophet, in this clause, pursueth the allegory taken from corpses unburied. And this the Jewish doctors, some of them, taking notice of, but withal taking it literally, say this shall be part of the strange sign, ver. 19, that should be shown upon Gog's and Magog's army, that though the judgment inflicted on them be by fire, Ezek. xxxviii. 22, yet the worms that bred in their carcasses, lying many months unburied, Ezek. xxxix. 9, shall live in the fire; which fiction, others, to shun, say that the worm hath reference to the bodies unburied; the fire to their cities burnt down with fire from above. Ezek. xxxix. 6. See Rev. xx. 8, 9. But such salves need not; the worm hath reference to such vermin as is wont to breed in and feed on dead corpses; such carcasses especially as lie so long above ground, until they rot, and become as dung or carrion, Job xxi. 26; Ps. lxxxiii. 10; Isa. xiv. 11, 19, 20; the fire, to the burning of such bodies, not fit now to be stirred, or removed, but to be consumed by fire, in the places where they lie, ch. ix. 5; xxx. 33; Ezek. xxxix. 9. So that the resemblance is taken from the bodies that lie rotting on the face of the earth, till they crawl all over with worms and maggots, and in regard both of their unfitness to be managed and the multitude of them, it is a long time ere they

enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50 Salt is good but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith can be consumed with fire." So much declaring that every sacrifice, however for a literal exposition; by which the painful, must be made, rather than undying worm and unquenchable fire renounce our faith, ver. 43-48, Christ are represented as enduring for a long adds as a reason, that 'every one' who time. And in the spiritual application devotes himself to the service of God which Gataker thought it necessary to shall be salted with fire,' that is, shall make, he by no means confines it to a be fitted for that service by trials, and future endless punishment, but allows it difficulties, and mortifications; in the to be at least equally applicable to judg- same way as 'every sacrifice' offered ments executed on the earth: "By the under the law was to be salted with whole similitude, or allegory, that dread-salt,' Lev. ii. 13, before it could be ful, direful, and detestable, condition is expressed, that shall, at first or last, befall all obstinate wicked ones; some times in exemplary judgments executed upon them in this world; partly, by inward torture of mind, Dan. v. 6; partly, by corporeal pains, 2 Chron. xxi. 18, 19; Acts xii. 23; and ignominious usages; Isa. xxii. 17, 18; Jer. xxii. 18, 19; amidst which, this also is one part of their misery, that they are generally rather abhorred than pitied, Ps. lii. 5-7; Ixiv. 7-9; but even if they do escape vengeance here, after this life, immediately in their souls, and at the last day, in soul and body joined together again."-Assem. Annot. I repeat, that the worm and the fire are here added merely as characteristics and aggravations of gehenna, and again refer to note on Matt. v. 22, for an explanation of that term. The punish-qualifies it somewhat, apparently fearment here indicated was horrible, truly; yet there is no evidence that it was to endure without end. It was rather the same which our Lord predicted, on several occasions, as the damnation of hell, and a time of unequalled tribulation. See Matt. iii. 7; xxiii. 33; xxiv. 21; and the notes. See also Matt. xxiii. 34-36.

acceptable to God. According to this, every one' means every Christian, or person who devotes himself to God; to be salted' is taken figuratively for to be perfected, rendered acceptable in the sight of God, which is sanctioned by Matt. v. 13; Col. iv. 6; and 'fire' denotes trials and sufferings. Comp. 1 Cor. iii. 13-15."-Brownell. "Every one shall be salted for the fire of God's altar; that is, shall be prepared to be offered a sacrifice to God, holy and acceptable. For although the proposi tion be universal, it must be limited by the nature of the subject thus: Every one, who is offered a sacrifice to God, shall be salted for the fire, as every sacrifice is salted with salt."-Macknight. So far is Macknight from finding in this passage any proof that some must endure endless misery, that he

ful that his readers would understand it to teach the final salvation of all men. "The crosses, afflictions, and severe sacrifices, occasioned by the practice of piety and the profession of true Christianity, are here compared to fire; even to a fire which produces the same effect on the mind, which salt produces on flesh, preserving it from corruption."Beausobre.

49. Every one shall be salted with fire, &c. Some have strangely sup- 50. Salt is good, &c. See note on posed that our Lord meant, the fire of Matt. v. 13. By devotion to Jesus and hell will eternally preserve the bodies his gospel, which exposed them to of men in a fit condition to be tor- fiery trials and sufferings, the disciples mented, even as salt preserves flesh became seasoned with the salt of divine from putrefaction. But Bishop Brown- grace; this they had in themselves, ell's exposition seems much more rea- and thus they became the salt of the sonable. "The opinions of commen-earth. Yet if they lost their saltness or tators on this very obscure verse are grace, they would become unprofitable almost endless; but the following seems and despicable.

as probable as any; namely, after

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