Superſticion ; the Goſpel-Lighr ſhall nor ſhine upon them, the, anſivel {hall be no more the Church of God: Or the Darkneſs rn pur 1590 where ſhall be nothing bur Pain and Mifery, and Lenraron? their £ for che Golpcl, and the Grace thereof firſt offered to cm Rn tho'he unthankfully reje&ed by them; by which they jud-e "ny Foes on Met unworthy of ch- Grace cf God, and of Erern:!] Lice, 4%; __ their 4 £2 Anu ious faid unto the C2nturion, Go thy way cake and as rhou haſt believed, iv be it done unto thee he che And his ſervant was healed in the ſelf fame hor © cog . wW 6 Luke faith, And they that were ſent returnirg to the Hhulp fur] g the Servans whole that had been fick, Luk. 7. 10. So, os ir {cer K. eth, that what Chriſt ſaid unto the Centurion, muſt be interprere him, ro thoſe whom the Centurion ſent in his Name. Go your _ other your Buſineſs 1s done, the Centurion's Faith hath obtain. ir ſhall We be done to him as he hath believed; where Believing muſt ſigni. Caperna ſ1e, A certain Perſwaſim of the Power of Chriſt, with a relying wh to pals « Mercy and Goodneſs, The Proximate Obje& of Faith is tome 141; rius, Jo of God, How far this Centurion was acquainred with the Orz. I cles of the Old Teſtament, (tho' he lived amongſt the Jews, ang / # as appears by his building a Synagogue for them, Lub. 7. hag 4 Mate Kindneſs for their Religion) I cannot tell. Ir is mot probable 20 4 char he had ſome.1mmedate Revelation of God concerning Chriſt holes which he is here faid to have believed, and to have had a fu! yon of Perſwafion of, and truſted in. All Revelations of God are th« we h Object of Faith, rho! the Scriptures being now writren, are to y; h : that have them, the Teſts and Touchſtones ro try ſuch Impreſſj- ig , ons by. | As thu believeſt, ] not becauſe thou believeſt. Our Fairy fic ag 15 nor meritorious of the leaſt Mercies, but & is an Exerciſc of | - Sts Grace, which gives Glory to God, and receiveth the Reward, nc: _ ie C of Debt, bur of Grace. The Miracle appeared in that the D:';.; i is, 1 was of an incurable Nature, and the Cure was wrought wirhoy; = p* Be Application of Means; and in ſuch a Moment of time, as Mezj: we with tho* uſed, could not have wrought it. : and befo1 14 And when Jeſus was come into Peter's Hovſz — he ſaw his Wife's Mother laid, and fick of 2 © 5:7, _— 15 And he touched her Hand, au? Gtie Fever ch ſome live her: and ſhe aroſe and miniſtred unto them. him know This Story is related wich ſome furcher Circumſtances, ;' his I. 29. Luk. 4. 33, 39. Mark tells us it was the Houſe ot Sinn than that and Andrew, with Zames and Fohn, (ir ſeems they lived there Beaſts of #1 together, ) thar they told him of her Sickneſs, after he had been fixed Habi there ſome time, That he took her by the Hand, and lift hor 1p, Texts call: Luke faith, ir was a great Fever that they beſought him for her, Thi of, given c he ftood over her, and rebuked the Fever. Here is no Contradith- mane Natu on, only ſome Amplifications of the Story, Iris plain from thi that he w Texr, that Peter was a Married Man, and continued fo, tho Perſon Pro called to be an Apoſtle z and that he had a Family.. Fevers are tioned, wt ordinary Diſtempers, and often cured by ordinary Means; but I Cor. 1 = this was a great Fever. The Miracle here was not in the Curect | an incurable Diſeaſe, but in the way of the Cure, by a touch > is 21 At Hand, or a lifting her up, and the Suddenneſs of the Cure, it im: E- Lord, ſt diately left her, and her ſudden Recovery of Strength, that ſhe could | 22 Bl preſently ariſe and miniſter ro them. Thar ſhe could do ic, argued the dead her Cure miraculous; that ſhe did do ir, argues her Senſe c: Lube r Chriſt's Goodneſs and Thankfulneſs, and teacherh us the uſe ie Chriſt __ ſhould make of all God's Gracious Providences to us, ro make u; fits = fitter for the Service of God, and ro employ our ſelves in i; E who mo yy ſo taking the Cup of Salvation, and praifing the Name of the L1:, him in Bur Pfal. 116. 13, and that th 16 When the Even was come, they brought unto gt al him many that were poſleſſed with Devils, and hz by is 12, caſt out the Spirits with hzs word, and healed all that nuF be prefe were fick. Obedience, I7 That it might be fulfilled which was ©oken _ = ”
by Efaias the Prophet, ſaying, * Himſelf tcok our 4:
-
Infirmities, and bare our Sickneſſes. |
Mark hath much the ſame, chap. 1. 32. and Lube, chap. 4.42, Luke adds, he laid his Hands upon them, and healed them, Webe: tore, chap. 4. v. 24. ſhewed who were meant by Perſ.ns pj!
Nazarites, v their Separa - eoftheG fromwhar n ” bury their de
by Devils. Ir 1s only obſervable, that it is faid, he caſt out the 3 re ag Sprr Devils by his Word, by the fame Power by which he made the 2 > i World, and all things therein, Gen. 1. His Authoritative Word. W hind 6, La {. He healed all that were ſick; ] That is, all that were brought 0 % cr greac him ; laying on of his Hands, was bur an External Symbs1, or Rite = 23 And uſed in Bleſſing, in Miraculous Operations, and in Ordinatiin 01 IJ diſciples { Miniſters. The great Queſtion 1s, How that which the Prophe: 2 4 *A
T/aiah ſaid, chap. 53. 4. was tulfilled by theſe Miraculous Oper tions? The Words are, Surely he hath born our Griefs, and caii? ea our Sorrows : And v. 5. By his Stripes we are healed : And
q | the lea, in Waves : - bt
che Apoſtle Peter referring to that Texr, fſaich, 1 Pet. 2. 24. #" 25 And bare our Sins in his Body on the Tree, The Words neither {cell him, ſavi; truly quoted, nor doth the Senſe appear the ſame ; the Evarze ) 24y T0 135 applyng what the Propher ſeems to ſpeak of our Sins, £0 ou þ 26 And Bodily Infirmities, and his bearing them to his curing them ; where "07. Oye of litt as Peter ſeemerh to apply ir ro his bearing our Sins ; thar is, tit Winds, and Puniſhment of our Sins, in his Stripes, and by his Sufferings 0! 2 B the Croſs. What I obſerved betore is here to be conſidered, ,</ Out