We before had this piece of Hiſtory, Matth. 8.2. To the Notes upon which, 1t is enough to refer our Rezdtr; we ſhall alſo meet with it hereatter in Lub, cp. 5. Our Lord's heinw mved with Compaſjiin, or afeFed in his Surely. the Word itgnines) 15 often ulcd as Expretſive of the Cavic of his 43 of Mercy ; Thus 10 curing the Leper, he at once buth Tcwed hi ſe!f the $9 of Man ; one-who could have Compoſt on ov in mites, and ind2ed rould not but have ſucha Cormiſrratii.y to. ward Mankind 3 and the Son of Gad,, that he could 93 an i,
by a Touch, or bv the Word of his *ower command cf 4 pip cate of fo difiicult Cure. For his Charging of him 5 {3 pi hjn to any Man, we are not able to give a perfect aocourc of 27
whether it was to avoid a Suſpicion of Offertition ; or to 2yoi2 a Throng of Company pretfing upon him 3 or to avcid the: Odiam which he knew the doing of thete mighty Works wou! 3 bring him under with the Scribes and Poorcfees , until Oi
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time came for the fuller Revelation of bimfelf Mucly 1cih ca: we tel! how to excuſe the Leper for doing contrary t.> this
Charge, which we ind many others to hive done, who fad nf like Charge 3 yet we read not of our Savioui's blaming oem for it. Mark addeth, that his Publication of 1t could, | fhat 7 fig could na mvre openly enter into the City, but was withur jn ee places: } By whici is to be underiiond only Places !ub inhay ted fome rink, places near the Shore. whereby going into ; Ship (as he oftca aid); he could more eaftly quit him{!f of tie Throng cf Poopic for (as If tviiowetn) they cam? ty tm fro every quaiter,
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The Phariſees charge him with Blaſpheri:s, x—12 4&e call- eth Leu from the weceit of CuStyn, —-t1. Vindicateth his eating with Pablicins and Sinners. 1g-—i7 And hu Difci- ples fir mot Faſting, and plichin; tte Ears of Comm on tf
Sabbath-day, 18—-27,
ſome days, and It was nolled that he was it the houle.
inſfomuch that chere was na room to receivethem; no, not ſo'much as about the door : and he preached the Word unto them:
to gratifie the Curioſity ofthe Phariſees 1n giving them a tign; ſs here our Saviour takes no notice of the Multitude ſeeking for him z bur ſaith to his Diſciples, { Let #s gs into the next Towns i that I may Preach there alſ> : for therefore am F come forth | Paul, ſaith, that God ſerit him not. to Baptize, but to Preach, I Cor. I. 17. Our Saviour ſaith not, Let us. go int) the next Towns,
that Tmay work Mixacles, but that T may Preach there alſo; he!
Goth not ſay he came forth to work Miracles, but to Preach ; How |
K cones to paſs, that ſome are polletled of fo {lighty an opinion
and St, Pay! counted to be their principal Wark 3; where, 1n the
mean time, they pretend to derive it from Chriſt, I cannot tell : |
{ am ſure Preaching was the greateſt part of Chriſt's Work ;
of Preaching, as to think that it 18 ricedleſs, which our Saviour}
3 And they come unto him, bringing one ſick of the palhe, which was born of four. |
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the preſs, they uncovered the roof where he was ; and when tney had broken z: vp, they let down the bed wherein the lick of the pallie lay.
5 When Jeſus ſaw their faith, he faid to the {ck 0: the palſie, Son, thy fins be forgiven thee.
6 But there were certain of the {cribes fitiing there, and reaſoning in their hearts.
7 Why doth this man thus ſpeak dlaſyhem:;s; ?
how it comes to be the leaſt part of Miniſter's Work fince, or, X who can forgive ins but God only ?
how any of them think it ſufficient to diſcharge that Work by
Journez-men, wl.ich he thoughr not beneath him to do him- ſ]f, may deſerve their Examination, which make it ſo. We do not ſay that Preaching is a greater Work than Prayer, or that it is not Miniſter's Duty to Pray z nor yet that 1t is greater than Adiiniftring the Sacrament 5 but this weſay, we read of Chriſt's Preaciiing often in the Synagogues, on the Mountain, in a Ship 3 Ot 11s pablich Praying we read not, though of his private and ſecret Prayer often, We read expreſsly that he Baptized none 3 we muft have leave tothink that our greateſt Work, which our Lord and his Apoſtles were moſt. imployed in, and do think others will be of.our Minds, as ſoon as they ſhall underſtand ; that if the end of Preaching be not turning Men from one Opi- 110n to another, but from the Love and Practice of Sin to God, there is as much need of it now as ever z and that the turning of Men from cone Opinion to another without a change of Heart,as to the love of Sin, is but a turning of Men from one quarter of the
40 * And there came a leper to him,beſeeching him, and kneeling down to him, and ſaying unto him, If
3 And immediately when Jeſus perceived in his ſpirit, that they ſo reaſoned within themſelves, he aid unto them, Why reaſon ye theſe things in your hearts ?. |
9 Whether is it eaſier to ſay to the lick ofthe paj- ſie, Thy ſins be forgiven thee ? or to ſays Ariſe, take up thy bed and walk.
10 But that ye may know the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive fins, ( he ſaith co the hick of the pallie, )
11 I ſay unto thee, Ariſe, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine houſe. = |
12 And immediately he aroſe, took up the bed,and went forth before them all, inſomuch that they were all amazed,and glorified God, ſaying, We never 147 it on this faſhion.
We read the Hiſtory of this Miracle, Matths g. 1. Fo Cur
tou wilt, thou canſt make me clean.
41 And Jeſus moved with compaſlion, put forth 41s hand and touched him, and faith unto him, I will ; X thou clean: |
42 And as ſoon as he had ſpoken, immediately the fProlie departed from him, and he was cleand. . 43 And he ſtraightly charged him, and forthwith *1t him away 5 |
44 And faith unto him, See thou ſay nothing to
Notes upon which I ſhall refer my Reader ; having there taker in thoſe paſſages in this Evangeliſt's Relation, which, 26:10 had not, I ſhall only take notice of ſome fery things (not the , touched upon,[” He preached the Word anta them. | The Word God, the Goſpel. There are other Words, but that bs # Word, Matth.13- 20- and in this Goſpel, cop. 4+ 14 £47. 30> 20. Lub.1. 2. AF. 17. 1i. The moſt excellent wv ord, and Wc only Word to be preached, ver. 7. Why doth thts Min ſeat, B:aj