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& 124 [dP IV , Of. M A were the Apoſtics preſently to enter upon the Work of the Mini- nittry, buc fir{t co follow Dim. And indeed, ſuch ſhould all Go- ſpel-Miniſters be, in the choice of Matthias : Peter limited rhe People in their Elettion, to 2hye that had accompanied with them ell the time, the Lord Jejus went in and out among$t them, Acts 1. 21. Ocker Miniſters commonly prove Fiſhers for ſomerhing elle, nor tor the Svuls ot Men.
20 And they iraightway left zhezr Nets, and fol- lowed him.
When Chriſt calls, Men ſhall obey : when he calls, he draw-
eth. Ir is not of inditpenſible Necefficy, that Men who Exer- ciſe the Miniſtry ſhould have nothing elſe ro do; Paul's hands miniftred to his Neceſſities : But nothing bur a providing for our ſelves and Houſholds can excuſe Miniſters, in intanghng them- ſelves with the Things of this Liſe. Churches thar are able, oughr bertcr to provide for their Miniſters ; and Miniſtcrs fo provi- ded for, fin, it they do not wholly give up themſelves to their work, 1 Tin. 4. 15. 41 And going on from thence, he ſaw other two Brethren, James he Son of Zebedee, and John his Bro- ther, in a ſhip with Zebedee their Father, mending their Nets : and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ſhip, and their Father. and followed him.
There was another Zames, Matth. 10. 3. the Son of Alphzus, cal- ted 7ames the Leſs, Brother of Foſes and Salome, Mar. 15. 40. This was Fames the Son of Zebedee, [ and John ] who is thought to be the Evangeliſt, Chriſt calleth chem, net with his Voice only, bur by his Spirit, affeting their Hearts, So as they immediately letr their Ship, and their Father : Elſewhere the Diſciples fay, Maſter, we have left all, and followed thee ; probably their Imploymenc with their Ship was their A//. They left their Father alſo, but ir was upon Chriſt's Call ; in which Caſe ir is every Man's Duty { and fol- l»wed him | to learn of him before they went our to Preach him, and ro be Witnefles of his Miracles, &c.
23 And Jeſus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Goſpel of the Kingdom; and healing all manner of fickneſs, ard all manner of diſeaſe among the People.
Feſug Chrift having now.. called four Diſciples, did not judge ir ſufficient ro ſend them about, bur himſelt went abour all the places of that dark Country of Galilee | reaching. in their Syna-
£02ues, | the word fignifiech both the Congregation convened, and |.
the Place. Here it fignifieth both : Synagogues were of old rime, Affs 15. 21. how ancient we know not : Some think thar they were no older than the return out of the Captivity of Babylon : Bur I am poſed then in derermining where the Body of the Jews ordinarily worſhipped God on the Sabbath-days ; for ir is certain they did nor all go up to the Temple at Feruſalem. In the Old Teſtament we read of them only, P/al. 74. 8. as at that time burnt up. As to the Order of them, we only read, that they had ſome Rulers, As 13. 15. who direfted thoſe who were to ſpeak words of Exhortation, The Scriptures were read in them, A&s 15. 21. the Law and the Prophets, Ads 13. 15. They prayed 1n them, Hatth. 6. 5. They expounded Scriprure in them, Luk. 4. 16, 17, 18, 19. Chriſt | Preached in the Synagogues ] nor only there ; we ſhall find him Yreaching on the Mount in the next Chapter, and in private Houſes ; but he did nor decline rhe Synagogues, either as to Preaching or Hearing, not wholly ſeparating from a Church corrupt enough through Traditions, bur not Idolatrous. But what did he Preach ? | The Gojpel of the Kingdom, }) the glad Tidings fer loſt Sinners, that was come into the World by the Revelation of him, who was the true Meſſtas, and the true and only way by which Men might come to the Kingdom of God, and be eter- nally ſaved. This is whar all his Miniſters ſhould publifh, nor their own Conceirs, or Dictates of Men, or things impercinenrt to rhe Salvation of Souls, but the Gopel of the Kingdom. | And healing all maimer of Sickneſſes, and all manner of Diſeaſes amongſt the People. ] The Greek is all Dijeaſes and Sickneſſes ; yer ſurely ſome died" in Galiice in that rime. This is another Text, to prove that the germ 4/! in Scripture doth nor always fignifie every Individual, but ſome Individuals of every Species. Chriſt confirmed his Dodtrine, and Divine Miffion, by theſe miraculous Opcrarions.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought unto him all ſick people, rhat were taken with divers diſeaſes, and torments, and thoſe which were poſſeſſed with devils, and thoſe which were lu- Natick, and thoſe which had the palſie, and he heal- ed them.
Syria is ſaid ro be bounded on the North by Cilicia, by Egypt on the South, on the Weſt with the Sea, and on the Eafi with Eu- phrates, and ro comprehend within it all Fudea, Bethany, Galilee, Decapolis, Samaria, Idumea, Paleſlina, Syrophenicia, Syria of Damaſcus, and Syria of Antioch. Chriſt's Fame ſpread very tar doubtleſs, becauſe of rhe Good he did, and the Miracles he wrought. | And they brought out to him all ſuch People that were taken with divers Diſeaſes.,} All here again can ſignifie no more rhan very many rhat were indiſpoſed, and 11 affeftted as ro their bodily Health ; thoſe that were fick of, or detained in their Beds or Houſes by divers Diſeaſes : Tho' Chriſt ſhewed his Power in curing ſome Diſeaſes, which Phyſicians judge incurable ; yer he ſhewed his Kindneſs alſo in relieving others nor to fatally fick. [ And Tor- ments ] Such as were troubled with great Pains, as if chey were upon Racks, or in the hands of Tormentors, that ſer themſelves ro Torture them. | And thoſe which were p3ſſeſſed with Devils. | Of theſe 1orrs of Perſons, we thall read ofcen in the Goſpel : This is the firſt c'me we meet With the term. Ir 15 obſerved thar in the Old
THE W, Chap,
Teſtament we read lictle of any ſuch Perſons; ( we read ©
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