Mark gives us an Account of this Miracle, chav.8, or, 1, o,, 4, 5, 5c. There is very little difference in their Relations, on'y Mark taich , our Saviour went into the Coaſts of Dalmnt;. Matthew ſaith, in che Coaſts of Magdala. Moſt think that j: was the ſame Place which had two Names ; ſome think one 1; the Name of the Country ,. the other of the City or Toy, Ochers, that they were two Towns near. together. There cre n» Difficulcies in this Hiſtory, Some queſtion how rhey could Fi: three Days ; bur the Text dorh not fay fo, onl; rhar ar rhar tim: they had nothing to eat, having ſpent whar rhey brought wich chem, probably, in their Baskers ; which anſwers anotlcr Que St79n allo, How they could ger Baxkets ia the Wildernets ? Te Miracle was of the fame nature with that which we met wit! chap. 14- only there were five rhouſand Men fed with $;z Loaves , and two Fiſhes; here fcur thouſand were fed wir) ſeven Loaves, and a few Fiſhes ; there rhey took up tel: here hut ſeven Baskers full, Our Lord_worketh ſometimes x;i;t. out Means, fomecimes by Means; and rhoie he diif-cencly pro. porrionerh to his End, as it pleaſerh him. The miracal-y; Operations of our Saviour are amon it his Miranda + Adiry:t; not his [nitanda; theſ: Ations of his, which we arc in reading
' coadmire, and adore , bur are not concerned to imirarc ; ye;
ſomerhing we miy obſerve from them , both for our [n/t;:j;n and Imitation. For our Int;-!t;5n, we may from this Ziji:y obſerve the extent of Chriſt's Compaſſin to his Diſciples ; which though it is moſt eminently ſeen in what he dorh for their 5:/; yer reacherh alſo to their B:4jes, and more exrernal Wants, [: alſo reacheth us to truſt God in the doing of cur Duty. Thcſ that are in a Wilderne6 hearing Chriſt, ſhall nor fainr by the wiy hefore they get home. His courſe of giving Thanks betuic he brake and made uſe of the Bread ( which we obſerved hcfore in the other Miracle ) commenderh to us the Religious Cuſtcm of begging a Blefſing before our Meat, and giving Thanks t w_ for good things of that nature , when we have receiycd them.
CHAP. XVL
The Phariſees , tempting Chrif, require a Sign. He reproveth thr zgnorance of things neceſſary, X — 4 He warneth his Diſcipls again$} the Leaven of the Phariſees : They reaſon about what t'.t meaneth, 5—12, The People's Opinim of Chrif, 13,14. Peter confeſſeth him to be the Son of the Living God, Chri appricath his Anſwer, and declareth him Bleſſed for it : promiſeth him ti: Keys of the Kingdom, 15—20, He foretelleth his Sufferings al Death at Jeruſalem , reproveth Peter for dehorting him fn it, 2123, and ex\wteth thoſe that will folhw him, to tak in their Croſs. The Reward of ſuch as will do ſo, 24—28,
I H E * Phariſees alfo with the Sadduces came, and tempting, defired him that he woull
{hew them a fign from heaven.
What theſe Phariſees ard Sadduces were, we have had an ccct- ſton ro ſhew before, in our Annotations on clap. Ze Ver. 7. There was a great Oppoficion betwisxt them , as we may learn from Acts 23. 7, 8. The Phariſees and Scribes were great Zealots for their Traditions. The Sadduces valued chem not. The Phaiſ's held, the ReſurreFiom, Angels and Spirits. The Sadduces denicd all, Bur they were both Enemies to Criſt, and comt:ine in their Deſigns againſt him. They came to him rempting ; that is defirous ro make a Trial of him. They defire that he cud ſhew them a Sign from Heven ;, ſuch a one as Moſes ſheved them, Fh,6. 3o, 31. bringing down Bread from Heaven. Thcy had ſeen our Saviour ſhewing many Sizns , bur they hed r2ugii the” People that rheſe things might be dune by the Power of the Devil, or by the Art of Man; therefore they c|al- lenge our Saviour to ſhew them another kind of Sign, a S15n trom Heaven, that they might know he was ſent, of God. Sce Mar. 8. 11,
2 He anſivered and ſaid unto them , When it 13 eventing, ye ſay, 1: wil! be fair weather ; for the 5} iS red.
3 And in the morning It wi/! be ſoul vicather to day; for the sky is red and lourins. O ye hyps crites , ye can diſcern the face of the sky, bur ca! ye not d:/cern the ſigns of the times ? |
You can, ſaith our Saviour, make Obſervations upon ttc Works of God in Nature, and common Providence, and im ſuch Obſervations you can make Concluſions : - It you fee te Sky red in the Evening , you can conclude from thence , £14t the Morrow will be fair; becauſe you think- that the Ren./s C the Sky art Night., ſpeaks the Clouds thin, and the Air pure: and on the other fide, the Redneſs of it in the Morning, 1peaks the Clouds thick , 16 as the Sun cannor diſperſe chem ; CT oh cauſe you obſerve that generally ic ſo proverh, rhough nothing be more murtable than the Air ; LINE you cannot diſcern the Signs of the Times.) You are only dull at making Obſervations vp-T the Scriprures, and the Will of God revealed in them concert ing me; You might @bſerye, that all che Signs of che me wn F
(0.
Chap. Xyj
part! ef the 4s & C hem Sea b was d prom! laid d by be his De been 1 Ckriſt Amevi, of Rep after d Chriſt? and T1; Sign, \ and de: entering which | the Coa
Mark e£1tten to 1 one Loaf, the Leave reaſing \ The Dilci Proviſion came on | time to gf and Sadd (tough 2 under ſio0 reference
Our of his ] 8 IWhz O ye of ] {{lves. be $4 100) uy, * the five ackets Ve 10 +\N
; @ land, ang
[S | Hoy Iake it nc Ware of adduces, I2 The not bewgr Tine of t{ [Mark givin victh lome ha
mh — Www *
Ba. Th +»
| 1p. XVI
St. M AT
] was Born of a Virgin, as was prophefted by | 7: h, chap. 7+ 14+ IN Bethiehem-Judah , as was propheſied by en 3; chap. 5+2- ara time when the Scepter was departed from my ind the Lawgiver from his feet, as was propheſied by Zacob, FO 10. That ohn the Baptiit is come inthe Power and Spirit pro to prepare my way before me, as was propheſied by Mala- of E pay” Thar there is one come, who openeth the Eyes of GY, Blind, and unſtoppeth the Ears of the Deaf, and maketh the Lame i" / s an Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb to ſing, according to ID cy, Iſa. 35+ 5,6. All theſe are the Signs of the Time
fulfilled 10 ME ©
$6
the prophe | when the Meſſith was to come ; bur theſe rhings you -cannot
ur like a company of Hypocrites , who pretend one nother ; you come and ask a Sign, thar you when you have ſo many, and yer” will nor