The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 87

earnest desire to effect a cure, the appliances may be unavailing, the utmost exertions unsucce6sful, and the disease may prove fate.I. The soul's leprosy is beyond the power of any earthly physician; it baffles all human skill, and, if uncured, it ends in eternal death. We bless God there is one, though only one, Physician in heaven above or earth beneath that has power to cleanse and cure. In coming for cure we must (2)' acknowledge our dependence on his sovereign will. We have no claim on him, nothing to recommend us to him, no merit to plead ; we must refer all to bis will, depend wholly on bis mercy, trust bis unlimited grace, cast ourselves at his feet, saying with the leper, "If thou wilt, thou canst." But (3) no one ever applied to him in this way whose application was in vain; no one ever came to him humbl.v and sincerely that was sent away uncured; no one ever came to him for cleansing that went unblest away. "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." Once more, (4) while at the first we refer everything to the will of the Phy- sician, we must ever after in everything yield obedience to that will and follow bis directions, however mysterious or humbling they may be, whatever self-denial or self-sacrifice they may require. "See thou say nothing to any man ; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest;" such is the direction given to the leper, now cleansed and cured. It has been well said, in reference to our Lord sending the leper to the priest, that "though as God he had just showed himself above the Law, yet as man be came to fulfil the Law." But why command him "to say nothing to any man"? To teach the avoidance of boasting and of ambition to his followers, according to Cbry- sostom; lest the crowd, attracted by and astonished at bis miracles merely, should not. allow sufficient opportunity for teaching, according to Beza; lest the report of the miracle might outrun him, and the priest, through ill will or envy, refuse to pronounce him cleansed, according to Grotius and others ; other reasons have been assigned, e.g. the avoidance of tumult and excitement, or the subordinate place of miracles in his ministry; it was rather to lose no time in conversation about the cure, but to regard it of prime importance and claiming first attention to get his cleansing attested by the priest and to prove his gratitude by works rather than words, presenting the offeriog enjoined in the Law recorded in Lev, xiv. 4-10. " The customary salutations were formal and tedious, as they are now, particularly among Druses and other non-Christian sects, and consumed much valuable time. . . , Another propensity an Oriental can scarcely resist, no matter how urgent his business, is, that if he meets an acquaintance,. he must stop and make an endless number of inquiries, and answer as many." But (5) the testimony desired was official proof of the reality of the man's cleansing by the· scrutiny and certificate of the priest; or it was to prove the Saviour's reverence for the Law; or perhaps even for a testimony against the people, because of unbelief in not acknowledging his Messiahship, notwithstanding all his mighty works. LESSONS. 1. No bodily disease is one-millionth part so terrible in its r:wages as sin, of which leprosy is such a special and striking type; none so dreadful in its results, or so destructive in its consequences. It darkens that spirit in man that once reflected so purely and perfectly the image of the Creator; it defiles the fountain-head of thought and feeling; it destroys the health and happiness of the soul. 2. Our Lord is able to deliver from this disease and save from sin. This miracle, as a sort of acted parable, plainly and impressively teaches this. He spake the omnific word that clea::ised the leper though the exercise of his volition was all that was needed, for he had already touched him, to show, perhaps, that the foul disease was gone. He is as willing as he ie able, he is as ready as he is powerful, his love being great as his power, He is more willing to heal than we are to seek and accept the blessing. 3. He is not only willing, but waiting to bestow on us present and immediate blessings. Present pardon and purity nnd peace, immediate grace and instant loving-kindness, instantaneous spiritual health, as well as future everlasting happiness, are among tbe boons which he stands waiting to confer, 4. Present application is our duty as woll as our privilege. The present is his accepted time; he is willing to receive us now, he is waiting to cleanse us now, he is ready to bless us now. Present opportunities may not return, present impressions may be effaced and never renewed; his spirit will not always strive, hu 11alvation will not be offered evermore.-J. J, G,  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [ce. n. 1-28.