clieve ye rha: I am able to do' this > They ſaid unto him, Yea, Lord.
. 29 Then touched he their eyes, ſaying, Accord- ng to your faith be it unto you.
Mt 32 And their eyes were opened. and Jeſus ſtraitly p . Clarged them, ſaying, * See that no man know 277.
St MATTHEW
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Chap. IX. W208 +041
31 * But they, when they were departed, ſpread Td SOOT +: 9 GRTT: abroad his fame in all that Country. ae - FAR 4. BAGIHE!
This Miracle is reported only by Sr. Matthew, tho' the other 4 Its AS 0% Wk Evangeliſts tell us of ſome others of the ſame kind. They followed if fl: ih v {Kali him in the way, { crying , and ſaying , Thou Som of David, have by Hh, of Map MPR Mercy on us. ] Thiele are the firſt we read of in this Goſpel, rhat ty 13 3 OR NUR. made their Applications ro Chriſt under the Notion of the Me/- WE IIRSED | WUD. J1ah, ( for ſo much that Compellation , Thou Son of David, im- WB ORFs | RD) | porcerh.) He was to open tte blind Eyes, Iſa. 35. 5. 7 42. 7. \L.I8 is "Mt and was to be the Son of Dvid, according to the Prophecies of bb HEH MOL. F him ; nor can any reaſon be given, why they called him the Son qt Fired 46:8 of David, bur this their belief, char he was the true Meſſias. [ Have # wee
Mercy on #5. |. Their Perition 1s general, tho? withour doubr they had a particular reſpe& co their want of Sight ; and fo our Sa- viour underſtood chem. Others, that came to Chriſt tor Cure be- tore, lookt upon Chriſt as a Man to whom Ged had given great Power, and plorificd God upon rhart account z as ver. 8. Their Courage and Bo/dnefs in the Faith alfo appeared, in thar they fear- ed nor the Pharjſ2es Decree, made, as appeareth from Foh. 9. 22. For the Chris, and the Sm of David amongſt the Fews, at this | time 11gnified the fame Perſon, as appears by chap. 22. 42. Chriſt TH liſtnech nor unto them rill he came into the Houſe; there he | ſaith, { Believe you that I am able to do this 8] Chriſt forgerrech nor the Prayer of Faith, tho' he doth nor give a prefent Anſwer according to our Expettation, thar he may continue us in our Duty, and quicken us yer to further imporcunicy. Our Lord purs the common Teſt upon them , Believe you that T am able to d) this? There 1s no abſolute particular Promitle for good things of a Temporal Concern: Ir is enough for us in thote Caſes, to believe thar God is able ro do rhe thing, and that he will do ir, it he ſerh ir be for our good ; he only therefore queſtioneth their Faith as to his Power, in their former owning him as the Meth, the Son cf David; they had declared that they believed his kindneſs to the Sons of Men, | They ſuid unto him, Tea, Lord, } we believe thou art able; and we believe thee the Meſſiah come to do good; and we have a Truſt 11 thee thou wilt do itz for this caufe we are come, we cry unto thee. | Then touched he their Eyes, and ſaid, According to your Faith be it unto yww. | See | che mighry Power cf che Prayer of Faith. Their Eyes were opened; | char is , their Viſive Faculty was reſtored, or given to them. And Feſus ftraitly charged them , ſaying, See that no Man know it, It was known they were blind, and Men muft know that they now ſaw : Bur he chargeth them nor ro publiſh ic as done by him. The word uſed fignifieth ro Command with Authoricy, and with a Threatning annexed ; we have mer with ſeveral ſuch Commands to Perſons cured , and none of them obſerved ; nor rhe Perſons blamed by Chriſt for nor obſerving them. We muſt fay the Parries ſinned in publiſhing the things , unleſs the Com- mand was with ſome Limirations, not mentioned by che Evan- geliſts, Bur we are nor able either to give a juſt Account why or how Chriſt commanded chem : Nor how they publiſhed che chings, or were excuſable in doing of it. 32 * As they went out, behold they brought to *See Chap: him a dumb man poſlefled with a devil. 12, 22: 33 And when the devil was caſt out, the dumb 4 ſpake, and the multitudes marvelled, ſaying, It was $6. Ne never ſo ſeen in Iſrael. [7 | Some think this the fame mentioned, L:þ. 11. 14. as ſhortly as it is here: The word in the G--2& fizaincs De.zf as well as Dumb; for all Perfons who are De:f trom thei: Birth , are alfo Dumb. Bur it 1s probable this Man was only accidencally Dumb, from the Power of the Devil, that had pofleſied him, and ſuppreſ- ſed his Speech. Ir is obſerved that Chriſt cured, x. Some chat came on their own accord ro him, has the Woman wich her Bloody- Hlux. 2. Others that could not come, bur were brought to him, as che Paralytich before menrioned in this Chapter, who was wil- [ingly brought, 3. Orhers, who neither came, nor were willingly brought, bur he occaſionally mier, Luk, 7. 12. Fob. 545. 7 9. I. | Ochers , thar were brought without their conſent , as the Demoniack Fi before mentioned, and rhis, in this Verſe ; his Deſign was, by theſe Operarions, to ſhe himfelf the Son of God ; and theretore did not always ſtay for People's voluntarily offering him Occa- fins, bur ſomcrimes rock chem, when they were nor voluntarily offered, ro ſhew the freeneſs of his Grace.
34 Burt che Pha:ſees ſaid , He cafſteth out the
devils through the prince of the devils. This was ot the only time they ſaid fo. See chap. 12, 24+
Mav. 3.22. L::h. 11.15. I fha!l in ny Notes on chap. 1 2. 24«
ſpeak more fully ro this Texr, where we ſhall alfo meer wich our
Saviour's Vindication of himſelf from this Impuration. Art pre-
ſenc I ſhall only obſerve the miſerable Eftects of Blindneſs and
Malice. The common People marvelled, and faid , There was
never ſeen ſuch thinss in Tſracl, The Jewiſh Do&ers ate mad, and
charze our S1viour to have made a Contrat wich the Devii, and
ro have derived this Power from him. Bur how did this ap-
pear tochem ? Nothing appeared as to any thing which our |
Saviour had done that could condutt their Reafon to fvch 4 Wall
Judgment : Nothing bur whar led their more charitable Netgh-
bours ro a quire contrary Judgrncur. Bur ſomething they muſt '*
ſay ro defame our Saviour's Reputation amongſt rhe People,having Wie.”
nothing elſe bur what the People would have judged taife, rhey
thus charge him; nor are tne Children of rhe Devi! £2 learn
his Arcs, who when they cannot Charge Gocd and Holy Men
with Protaneneſs, Charge them with Hypocrifie z of which ic 15
impoſſible chey ſhould be competent Judges.