thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way,

mere sanitary regulations is out of the question. The fact of its non-contagious nature has been abundantly proved by learned men, and is evident from the Scripture itself: for the priests had continually to be in close contact with lepers, even to handling and examining them. We find Naaman, a leper, commanding the armies of Syria (2 Kings v. 1); Gehazi, though a leper, is conversed with by the king of Israel (2 Kings viii. 4, 5); and in the examination of a leper by the priest, if a man was entirely covered with leprosy, he was to be pronounced clean (Levit. xiii. 12, 13). The leper was not shut out from the synagogue, nor from the Christian churches. Besides, the analogy of the other uncleannesses under the Mosaic law, e. g. having touched the dead, having an issue, which are joined with leprosy (Num. v. 2), shews that sanitary caution was not the motive of these ceremonial enactments, but a far deeper reason. This disease was specially selected, as being the most loathsome and incurable of all, to represent the effect of the defilement of sin upon the once pure and holy body of man. "Leprosy was, indeed, nothing short of a living death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the humours, of life; a dissolution, little by little, of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually decayed and fell away." (Trench on the Miracles, p. 213.) See Num. xii. 12. The leper was the type of one dead in sin: the same emblems are used in his misery as those of mourning for the dead: the same means of cleansing as for uncleanness through connexion with death, and which were never used except on these two occasions. Compare Num. xix. 6, 13, 18, with Levit. xiv. 4-7. All this exclusion and mournful separation imported the perpetual exclusion of the abominable and polluted from the true city of God, as declared Rev. xxi. 27. And David, when after his deadly sin he utters his prayer of penitence, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean,' Ps. li. 7, doubtless saw in his own utter spiritual uncleanness, that of which the ceremonial uncleanness that was 'purged with hyssop was the type. Thus in the above-cited instances we find leprosy inflicted as the punishment of rebellion, lying, and presumption. I put the plague of leprosy in an house' (Levit. xiv. 34), Remember what the Lord thy God did to Miriam'

(Deut. xxiv. 9), and other passages, point
out this plague as a peculiar infliction
from God. The Jews termed it the
finger of God,' and emphatically The
stroke.' They said that it attacked first
a man's house; and if he did not turn,
his clothing; and then, if he persisted in
sin, himself. So too, they said, that a
man's true repentance was the one con-
dition of his leprosy leaving him." Trench,
p. 216. The Jews, from the prophecy Isa.
liii. 4, had a tradition that the Messiah
should be a leper. worshipped him]
"falling on his face," Luke v. 12; “kneel-
ing to him," Mark i. 40. These differences
of expression are important. See begin-
ning of note on this verse. Lord] Not
here merely a title of respect, but an ex-
pression of faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
"This is the right utterance of Lord,'
which will never be made in vain." Stier.
When Miriam was a leper, "Moses cried
unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O
God, I beseech thee," Num. xii. 13.
3. touched him] He who just now ex-
pansively fulfilled the law by word and
commands, now does the same by act and
deed: the law had forbidden the touching
of the leper, Levit. v. 3. It was an act
which stood on the same ground as the
healing on the Sabbath, of which we have
so many instances. So likewise the pro-
phets Elijah and Elisha touched the dead
in the working of a miracle on them
(1 Kings xvii. 21: 2 Kings iv. 34). The
same almighty power which suspends
natural laws, supersedes ceremonial laws.

Here is a noble example illustrating His own precept so lately delivered, 'Give to him that asketh thee.' Again, we can hardly forbear to recognize, in His touching the leper, a deed symbolic of His taking on him, touching, laying hold of, our nature. The same remarkable word is used in the Greek in Luke xiv. 4, "and taking hold of him, he healed him," and in Heb. ii. 16, "He taketh not hold of angels, but he taketh hold of the seed of Abraham."

4. See thou tell no man] Either (1) these words were a moral admonition, having respect to the state of the man ("teaching him not to boast and seek admiration," as Chrysostom), for the injunction to silence was not our Lord's uniform practice (see Mark v. 19, || L.), and in this case they were of lasting obligation, that the cleansed leper was not

4, 10.

shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses a LEVIT. xiv. 3, commanded, for a testimony unto them.

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under

to make his healing a matter of boast
hereafter; or (2) they were a cautionary
admonition, only binding till he should
have shewn himself to the priest, in order
to avoid delay in this necessary duty, or
any hindrance which might, if the matter
should first be blazed abroad, arise to his
being pronounced clean, through the ma-
lice of the priests; or (3), which I believe
to be the true view, our Lord almost uni-
formly repressed the fame of His miracles,
for the reason given in ch. xii. 15-21,
that, in accordance with prophetic truth,
He might be known as the Messiah not by
wonder-working power, but by the great
result of His work upon earth: see ch.
xii. 16-19. Thus the Apostles always
refer primarily to the Resurrection, and
only incidentally, if at all, to the wonders
and signs. (Acts ii. 22-24; iii. 13-16.)
These latter were tokens of power common
to our Lord and his followers; but in His
great conflict, ending in His victory, He
trod the winepress alone.
shew thy-
self to the priest] Read Levit. xiv. 1-32.
This command has been used in support
of the theory of satisfaction by priestly
confession and penance. But even then
(Trench on the Miracles, p. 221, where
see instances cited) the advocates of it are
constrained to acknowledge that Christ
alone is the cleanser. It is satisfactory to
observe this drawing of parallels between
the Levitical and (popularly so called)
Christian priesthood, thus completely shew-
ing the fallacy and untenableness of the
whole system; all those priests being types,
not of future human priests, but of Him,
who abideth a Priest for ever in an un-
changeable priesthood, and in Whom not
a class of Christians, but all Christians,
are in the true sense priests unto God.

a testimony unto them] A testimony both to, and against them. The man disobeyed the injunction, so that our Lord could no more enter the city openly: see Mark i. 45.

5-13.] HEALING OF THE CENTURION'S SERVANT. Luke vii. 1-10, where we have a more detailed account of the former part of this miracle. On the chronological arrangement, see Introduction. The centurion did not himself come to our Lord, but sent elders of the Jews to Him, who recommended him to His notice as loving their nation, and having built them a synagogue. Such variations, the concise account making a man do by himself what the fuller one relates that he did by another, are common in all written and oral narrations. In such cases the fuller account is, of course, the stricter one. Augustine, answering Faustus the Manichæan, who wished, on account of the words of our Lord in ver. 11, to set aside the whole, and used this variation for that purpose, makes the remark, so important in these days, "Does not our human custom furnish abundance of such instances? Shall we read, and forget how we speak? Could we expect that Scripture would speak with us otherwise than in our own manner ?" On the non-identity of this miracle with that in John iv. 46 ff., see note there.

5. centurion] he was a Gentile, see ver. 10, but one who was deeply attached to the Jews and their religion; possibly, though this is uncertain, a proselyte of the gate (no such term as "devout," "fearing God," is used of him, as commonly of these proselytes, Acts x. 2 al.).

6.] From Luke we learn that it was "a slave, who was precious to him." The centurion, perhaps, had but one slave, see ver. 9. 8.] The centurion heard that the Lord was coming, Luke vii. 6, and sent friends to Him with this second and still humbler message. He knew and felt himself, as a heathen, to be out of the fold of God, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel; and therefore unworthy to receive under his roof the Redeemer of Israel. 9.] The meaning is, I know how to obey, being

b

me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. b Luke xiii. 29. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and ech. xxi. 43. Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the a children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

d1 Cor. ix. 5.

d

14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

16 When the even was come, they brought unto him

u render, sons.

myself under authority: and in turn know
how others obey, having soldiers under
me:' inferring, if then I, in my sub-
ordinate station of command, am obeyed,
how much more Thou, who art over all,,
and whom diseases serve as their Master!"
That this is the right interpretation, is
shewn by our Lord's special commendation
of his faith, ver. 10. 10. marvelled]

to be accepted simply as a fact, as when
Jesus rejoiced, wept, was sorrowful; not,
as some have foolishly done, to be ra-
tionalized away into a mere lesson to teach
us what to admire. The mysteries of our
Lord's humanity are too precious thus to
be sacrificed to the timidity of theologians.
12. the sons] the natural heirs,
but disinherited by rebellion.
outer
darkness] the darkness outside, i. e. out-
side the lighted chamber of the feast, see
ch. xxii. 13, and Eph. v. 7, 8. These verses
are wanting in St. Luke, and occur when
our Lord repeated them on a wholly dif-
ferent occasion, ch. xiii. 28, 29. Compare
a remarkable contrast in the Rabbinical
books illustrating Jewish pride: “God said
to the Israelites, In the world to come
I will spread for you a vast table, which
the Gentiles shall see and be confounded."

13. was healed] Of what precise disease does not appear. In Luke he was "ready to die"-here he is "sick of the palsy, grievously tormented." But though these descriptions do not agree with the

V read, him.

character of palsy among us, we read of a similar case in 1 Macc. ix. 55, 56: "At that time was Alcimus plagued, and his enterprizes hindered: for his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak any thing, nor order any thing concerning his house. So Alcimus died at that time with great torment." The disease in the text may have been an attack of tetanus, which the ancient physicians included under paralysis, and which is more common in hot countries than with us. It could hardly have been apoplexy, which usually bereaves of sensation.

14-17.] HEALING OF PETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER, AND MANY OTHERS. Mark i. 29-34. Luke iv. 38-41. From the other Evangelists it appears, that our Lord had just healed a dæmoniac in the synagogue at Capernaum: for they both state, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew,' &c. Both Mark and Luke are fuller in their accounts than the text. The expression (of the fever) it left her, is common to the three, as is also the circumstance of her ministering immediately after shewing that the fever left her, not, as it would have done if natural means had been used, weak and exhausted, but completely restored. 16.] at sunset,

Mark ver. 32: Luke ver. 40. From St.
Mark we learn that the whole city was

e

e ISA. liii. 4.

many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and 1Pet. ii. 24. bare our sicknesses. 18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man

W render, a: see Luke vii. 7.

collected at the door; from St. Luke, that
the dæmons cried out and said, Thou
art Christ the Son of God.' And from
both, that our Lord permitted them not to
speak, for they knew Him. They brought
the sick in the evening, either because it
was cool, or because the day's work was
over, and men could be found to carry
them, or perhaps because it was the sab-
bath (see Mark i. 21, 29, 32), which ended
at sunset.
17.] The exact sense in
which these words are quoted is matter of
difficulty. Some understand took and bare
as merely took away,' and 'healed.' But
besides this being a very harsh interpre-
tation of both words, it entirely destroys
the force of Himself, and makes it ex-
pletive. Others suppose it to refer to the
personal fatigue, (or even the spiritual ex-
haustion, [Olshausen,] which perhaps is
hardly consistent with sound doctrine,)
which our Lord felt by these cures being
long protracted into the evening. But I
believe the true relevancy of the prophecy
is to be sought by regarding the mira-
cles generally to have been, as we know so
many of them were, lesser and typical out-
shewings of the great work of bearing the
sin of the world, which He came to ac-
complish; just as diseases themselves, on
which those miracles operated, are all so
many testimonies to the existence, and
types of the effect, of sin. Moreover in
these His deeds of mercy, He was 'touched
with the feeling of our infirmities:' wit-
ness His tears at the grave of Lazarus,
and His sighing over the deaf and dumb
man, Mark vii. 34. The very act of com
passion is (as the name imports) a suffer-
ing with its object; and if this be true
between man and man, how much more
strictly so in His case who had taken upon
Him the whole burden of the sin of the
world, with all its sad train of sorrow and
suffering.

18-IX. 1.] JESUS CROSSES THE LAKE. INCIDENTS BEFORE EMBARKING. HE STILLS THE STORM. HEALING OF TWO DEMONIACS IN THE LAND OF THE GADARENES. Mark iv. 35-v. 20: Luke ix. 57-60; viii. 22-39, on which passages compare the notes. 18.] It is obviously the intention of St. Matthew to bind on the following incidents to the occurrence which he had just related. 19.] Both the following incidents are placed by St. Luke long after, during our Lord's last journey to Jerusalem. For it is quite impossible (with Greswell, Diss. iii. p. 155 sq.) in any common fairness of interpretation, to imagine that two such incidents should have twice happened, and both times have been related together. It is one of those cases where the attempts of the Harmonists do violence to every principle of sound historical criticism. Every such difficulty, instead of being a thing to be wiped out and buried up at all hazards (I am sorry to see, e. g., that Dr. Wordsw. takes no notice, either here or in St. Luke, of the recurrence of the two narratives), is a valuable index and guide to the humble searcher after truth, and is used by him as such (see Introduction).

It ap

20. the Son of man] "It is thought that this phrase was taken from Daniel vii. 13, to which passage our Saviour seems to allude in ch. xxvi. 64, and probably Stephen in Acts vii. 56. pears from John xii. 34, that the Jews understood it to mean the Messiah: and from Luke xxii. 69, 70, that they considered the Son of Man to mean the same as the Son of God." Dr. Burton. It is the name by which the Lord ordinarily in one pregnant word designates Himself as the Messiah-the Son of God manifested in the flesh of man-the second Adam. And to it belong all those conditions, of humiliation, suffering, and ex

hath not where to lay his head. 21 And another of his

f see 1 Kings disciples said unto him, 'Lord, suffer me first to go and

xix.

g Ps. lxv. 5-7: lxxxix. 9: cvii. 29.

bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and render, being covered.

altation, which it behoved the Son of Man
to go through. 21.] In St. Luke we
find, that our Lord previously commanded
him to follow Him. Clement of Alexandria
reports this as having been said to Philip.
But if so, He had long ago ordered Philip
to follow Him, taking St. Luke's order of
the occurrence. A tradition of this nature
was hardly likely to be wrong; so that
perhaps the words Follow me are to be
taken (as in John xxi. 19, 22) as an admo-
nition occasioned by some slackness or
symptom of decadence on the part of the
Apostle. The attempt to evade the strong
words of our Lord's command by supposing
that to bury my father means, to reside
with my father till his death' (Theophy⚫
lact), is evidently futile, since "first to go
and bury" is plainly said of an act waiting
to be done; and the reason of our Lord's
rebuke was the peremptory and all-super-
seding nature of the command "Follow
me."
22. the dead] First time, as
Rev. iii. 1, spiritually,-second, literally
dead. The two meanings are similarly
used in one saying by our Lord in John xi.
25, 26. See Heb. vi. 1; ix. 14: and the
weighty addition in Luke, ver. 62.

23.] This journey across the lake, with its
incidents, is placed by St. Mark and St.
Luke after the series of parables com-
mencing with that of the sower, and re-
corded in ch. xiii. By Mark with a precise
note of sequence: "the same day, when the
even was come, he saith unto them," Mark
iv. 35. 24. being covered] compare
Mark iv. 37: Luke viii. 23. By keeping to
the strict imperfect sense, we obviate all
necessity for qualifying these words: the
ship was becoming covered, &c. All lakes
bordered by mountains, and indeed all hilly
coasts, are liable to these sudden gusts of
wind. 25.] Lord, save us: we perish
Master, carest thou not that we perish,

=

=

Mark iv. 38 Master, Master, we perish,
Luke viii. 24. On these and such like
variations, notice the following excellent and
important remarks of Augustine: "The
sense of the disciples waking the Lord and
seeking to be saved, is one and the same :
nor is it worth while to enquire which of
these three was really said to Christ. For
whether they said any one of these three,
or other words which no one of the Evan-
gelists has mentioned, but of similar import
as to the truth of the sense, what matters
it ?" We may wish that he had always
spoken thus. Much useless labour might
have been spared, and men's minds led to
the diligent enquiry into the real difficulties
of the Gospels, instead of so many spending
time in knitting cobwebs. But Augustine
himself in the very next sentence, descends
to the unsatisfactory ground of the Har-
monists, when he adds, "Though it may be
also, that when many were calling upon
Him, all these may have been said, one by
one, another by another." His mind how-
ever was not one to rest contented with
such sophisms; and all his deeper and more
earnest sayings are in the truer and freer
spirit of the above extract. [The above
remarks are more than ever important, now
that a reaction towards the low literal har-
monistic view has set in, and the inspiration
of the mere letter is set up against those
who seek for life in searching the real
spirit of the Scriptures. 1862.]
26.] The time of this rebuke in the text
precedes, but in Mark and Luke follows,
the stilling of the storm. See the last
note. They were of little faith, in that
they were afraid of perishing while they
had on board the slumbering Saviour:
they were not faithless, for they had re-
course to that Saviour to help them. There-
fore He acknowledges the faith which
they had; answers the prayer of faith, by