_ The fullowing Miracle being an evident Confirmation of the Godhead oj Chritt, 4s recorded by all the Evangelifts. By Mat- thew here; by 21%, chap. 5.35. by Lube, chap.g. 10,11,12, (Fc. by Jon, chyp. 6. 1,2,2, We Theſe Words lead us to it, and inew us the eccation of 1t. Our Saviour was withdrawn to a more priv2te Place ; which, becautle little inhabired, is called 4 deſart plice. Lib: ane ut was near Bethſaida, Luk, 9. 10, The Peo- ple, as it ſ-emicth, had been rozether ſometime. It was now After- noon, and the rime Oo: Dining was paſt, Ir was Evening in the Jewiih Senſe, (who called it all Evening, afrer the Sun was turned ; and racrecore had ewo Evenings, as thoſe killed in their Writings rei] us! eovixe which the Paſſer was to be killed.) The Diſciples rheretre pirying the Mulricrudes, who, they preſumed, might be {unzry, come to our Saviour, and move him to diſmiſs them, that they mizhe ger ſomething co ear in the Villages of the adja- Ccnt Country.
15 But Jcius ſaid unto them, They need not depart ; give ye them to ear.
7% r:laterh the Story thus : When 7eſus lifted up his Eyes, ond faw 1 great Company come unto him, he ſaith unto Philip, Whence ft: 1 we buy Bread, t2.1t theſe may eat * And this he ſaid to prove him, for he himſelf knew what he wald dv. Philip anſwered him, Two hundred penyworth of Bred 4s not ſufficient for them, that every ene of them may tahe a Iittlz, One of his Diſciples, Andrew, Simon Pote,”s brother, ſuth unto hit, There is a Lad here which hath frue Burley-lnwues , and tw? final Fiſhes; but what are they among$ ſo r.imy ? And Jeſus ſaid, Male the Men fit djywn. Now there 4s mach Grjs in the place; fo the Men ſat down in number about fros ihoulund.
place one to anorher , and ſome Exorciſts of their own mizh: ſeem ro caft them cur, yer none ever prerended ro multiply Bread and Fiſh to tuch a Proporticn as this ; that ſuch a Quantir; of either ſhould feed fuch a Number, and leave ſuch a Remain- der. This Hiſtory likewife turcher inftruerh us, horh con- cerning the low Condition of Chrift, and his Diſciples; their Faith in the Word of Chriſt ; and our Duty and Satery in &- pending upon his Providence , while we are doing of cur Dur, and minding the things of rhe Kingdom of God, and obeying the Will of God. St. 7ohn obſerveth the Fruit of, rhis Miracle, Foh. 6. 14. Thyſe Men when they had ſeen the Miracle which Jo/us _ yu This is of a truth, that Prophet which ſhould come ints th: or : |
22 And ftraightway Jeſus conſtrained his diſci- ples to get into a ſhip, and to go before him unto the other ſide, while he ſent the multitudes away.
Mark ſaith , chap. 6. 45. Before, unto, or over-againft Bct'- ſaida, Chriſt is ſaid to have conſtrained them, to denote to us, that rhey were not very Willing to go. They were in a deſarr place; ir was rowards Night; the Day was far ſpent &cr he wrought tte Miracle before-mentioned. Probably they were loth to leave Chriſt al5ne in ſuch a place, and ar ſuch a time : Bur his Com- mand was obeyed. Probably he Commanded , 1, Thar h2 mig! berter ſcatter the Mulritude, Mar. 6. 45, That he miznt pre- vent 4 Tumulr ; for St. Fohn tells us, That the People hid a < ſign to take him by force, and make him a King, F:h. 6.15. 3. To make a way for another Miracl?, ro which their going by S2 gave occaſion, as we ſhall hear by and by. 4. To gain himfelt a private opportunity for Prayer ; for, ar. 6. 45. When he h:4 fent them away, ne departed into a Mountain to pray, So alſo fait our Evangeliſt.
he went up into a mountain apart to pray : and * when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Fobn ſatch no more, than that he departed himſelf into a Mout:- rain alone; Matthew and Mark ſay it was to Pray. From wience, (as from other places of Holy Writ) the Duty of Secret Projer 1s commended to us by the great Example of our Saviour ; he chuſerh che Mountain for it, as a place of greateſt Privacy anc Solitude. | And when the Evening was come.) This confirmerh ti? former Nction , that the Fews had two Evenings. They callc that parr of the Day atrer the Sun had began to decline , The Evening, which was the Even before ſpoken of, inrerpreted hy the other Evangeliſts, When the Day was well ſpent ;, and the Twillght, which is here called che Evening, and which is the time wii) moſt uſually call by that Name.
24 But the ſhip was now in the midft of ths ſea, toſſed with waves, for the wind was contrary:
25 And in the fourth watch of the night, Je1us went unto them , walking on the ſea.
26 And when the diſciples ſaw him walking * the ſea, they were troubled , ſaying, It is a {Þ!tt And they cried out fer fear.
23 * And when he had ſent the multitudes away, %t:
% Jabs "| mr
fiſhes, and looking up to heaven, he * bleſſed, ang +, brake, and gave the loaves to hzs diſciples, and the 6 :
, * ”
Chap, XIV
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conſt hid Pup, or P his. peri! upan
if it
our Eye mediatel from his laverh 1 wherefor ( yet it W Faith,
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the So;
They; walked 1 pany ma] Manichee, tne Sea, rl ney mut not alloy C own war of all Hu Ship, bur Who brin Were in th Homage 1 0 great a of God, © World to
depr ces ; and a Fait T2 be ackn Iracle of Fhat Proph time We m his being th ut by the Wanted,
jap. XIV. Df.
27 But ftraightway Jeſus ſpake unto them, {ay- ing, Be of go9d CACer : Nt is [, be not airaid.
Whilſt our Saviour was Praying on the Mcunt , the Ship which carried his Ditciples was upon the Sea, that 1s, thac Creek of che Sea, which they were at that time patſing over. A Storm ariizrh nor withour the Countel of God, that Chriſt mighr ſhew,