preſly ſaid that our Saviour was aſteep ; hereby he ſhewed him- ſelf ro be truly Fr, ſubje&t ro like Infirmities with us, (Sin on+ ly <xcepted, Heb. 4. 15.) . That the | Diſciples came to him , and awoke him, ſaying , Lord ſave us : we periſh) argued both their Faith in his Power, and their Kailty in nor confiderins who was with them in the Ship ; cne , who tho' his Humanity was aſleep, yer was he who watcheth over Iſrael, who never ſlumbereth nor ſlzepeth, Our Saviour faith unco them, | 1;hy are ye fearful, O ye of little faith ?] The Prevalence of Fears in us upon immi- nent Dangers, will not argue no Faitn , bur- will argue a weak Faith ; whichyethe that will nor break a bruiſed Reed,nor quench a ſmoaking Flax , will nor diſcourage. He will therefore give chem a Proof of his Divinity, { He aroſe, and rebuked the Winds, and the Seas; \ Ler them know he was their Lord , and com- mandcecd them co ceaſe ; | And there was a great calm.) Tt is he that rebuketh the Waves of che Sea when they roar, and ſtillech the Ragings of the People, {The Men, Either the Sea-men, or the Paſſengers, or both, Marveied, /ayin;, What manner of Man ws this, that even the Wirds and the Sea obey bim © Surely this is more than a Man, that can command Winds and Seas.
28 And when he was come to the other ſide, unto the country of the Gereeſenes. there mer him two pollefſed of devils,coming our of the Tombs,exceed-
ing fierce. ſo that no man might paſs by that way.
This Hiſtory is related by 3fark, chap. 5.1, 2, 3, 4 (5c. and by Luke, chap. 8. 26, 27, more largely than by Matthew, The orhes ewo Evangelifts report it to be done in the Country of the Gad.t- renes, Mather» 3n the Country of the Geygejenes ; rhey were the ſame Pecple , ſ-merimes denominated from one great Ciry in tacir Territories, ijomerimes trom another; who ſo readeth the Story in ali three FLargeliſts, will eafily conclude ir the ſame, tho' relared with c'fterent Circumſtances, Muthew ſaith, there was tw» of thete ;emonizchs + MarÞ and Luke mention bur one: Luke faith, Thc Am had Devils a long time ; that he wore no Cloarhs, neither abode in ary Howje, but in the Tombs. Mark faith, There ret him out of the To:cos a Man with an uaclean Spirit, who had ins Dwctting emongst the Tombs, ard n9 man could bind him, no nr with Chains : Becauſe h2 had een often bound with Fetters and Chains , and the Chains hud been pluckt aſunder by him, and the Fetters broken in pieces , neither could any man tame him ; and al- ways Night and Day he was in the Meuntains , and in the Tombs crying , and cutting himſelf with Stores, Matthew faith, he came out of the Tombs , was exceeding fierce, ſo as none ceuld paſs that way, Divines agree, that the Power or the Evil Angels was not abated by their #4/, rhey were only depraved in their Will. That the Power of an Angel 15 much more than is here mentioned, is out of queſtion. Thar the Evil Angels do nor exert this Power upon us, is frum the reftraining Power of God, We live in the Air in which the Devil hath a Principality, Eph. 2. 2, Why God at thar rime ſuffered the Devil more to exerciſe his Power over che Bodies of Men, we probably ſhewed beture upon Matrh.4.24- The World was grown very Ignorant, and Wicked, and ſorrithly Superſticious. Beſides, he was now come, who was to deſtroy the Works of the Devil, and was co ſhew his Divine Power in caſting him our. The Jews Buried their Dead our of their Cities; the richer of them had Tombs hewed out of Rocks, &c. and choſe very large , as may be learned from Ta. 65.4. Fo. 20. $. The Devil choſe rheſe places partly ro affrighr Perſons through the che horror of rhe places, and rorment the Poflefled wich noifom- neſs of them; partly to chear Men wich an Opinion they were che Souls of rhe Perſons deceaſed thar were there buried.
29 And behold they crizd out, ſaying, What have we to do with thee, Jeſus rhou Son of God ? art thou
come hither to torment us before the time?
Mark faith , chap. 5. 8. That Jeſus (firſt) ſaid to him, come out of the Man : and, v.6,7. When he ſaw Feſus afar off, he ran and worſhipped him, and cried out with a loud voice, What have I to do with thee , Feſus thou Son of the High God ? T adjure thee that thou torment us not. Luke's Relation , chap. 8. v. 28, 29. is much the ſame with Mzi&'s. The Devil's poſlefſing theſe poor Creatures, hearing Chriſt, ro whoſe P>wer they knew they were ſut;je& ro command them our of this Man, or theſe two Men, aid, [What have we to d» with thee , emis thou Som of God ?] The Devils kneiv Chriſt ro be the Sm-1 of God , tho' the Jews would nor be- lieve ir. They ſay unto him, Wozr have we i do with thee ? An uſual Phraſe made ute ct, where Men had nc defire to He rrou- bl-1:with che Company,Converſe or imporcunity of orhers, 7.22. 24. 2 5am.16.20. 2 King.g.18.2 Chro.35.21. 71! 3.4. 79h.2.4. When they came to him with tome ungrateiul Motions, gc. { Art thou come hither to torment 8 before the time 2) Either tizey !ook upon cheir Diſpofirion as a T-rment; for the Devil is not at quier, bur when he is doinz Evil; and as this 1s the Temper of the old Serpeur, ſo we ſhall obſerve rhar he communicateth ir to his Seed, Prov. 4. 16, Or « ©: 5» Devil was atraid left Chriſt ſhould have commanded him to ais Chains betore the Day of Judgment.
30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many ſivine feeding.
21 So the devils beſought him, ſaying , If thou caſteſt us out, ſuffer us to go away into the herd of {wine.
Both Mark and Luke interpoſe here ſomething more, Mar. 5.9. And he ashed him , What is thy Name ? and he anſwered, ſaying, My Name is Legion, for we are many. Luke taitn, And Feſus ushed him:, ſaying , What js thy Name ? becauſe many Devils were entred into him. A Roman Legion conſiſted of tyelve thouſand five hun- dared Souldiers ; not that there were preciſely ſo many Evil Spi- rirs which had a power over this poor Man , bur many had. A certain Number 1s named for one uncertain. Chriſt knew his Caſe well enough, bur probably acked him the Queſtion tor the furcher Glorifying of his Divine Power, 1n caſting chem our,
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