LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. unto Sarepta, a city ofSidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Ifrael in the time of Elifeus the brophet; and none of them was clean/ed, laving Nanman the Syrian. No fooner had our Redeemer fpoken thefe words, than the fynagogue was in an uproar; the whole affembly foamed with rage, and was the more unruly and turbulent, becaufe none of them knew how to reply : but forget- ting the folemnity of the Sabbath, they feiied the Saviour of the world, and took him by force, to the brow of the hill on which their city flood, thinking to have thrown him down, and dafhed him to pieces ; but no fooner were they come to the place where they intended to have put their cruel defigns in execution, than they were impreffed with awe ; and each looked on the other, none daring to make the horrid attempt. Our Redeemer per- ceiving the conflernation which they were in, departed from amongi them, and none prefümed to detain him. Our Saviour being thus treated by the blind, outrageous fury ofhis townfmen, and the cruel ufage he had received, he removed his place of refidence, and for force time abode at Capernaum. This was the capital city of Galilee, and was built on the borders of the lake of Genefareth. It may not be improper in this place, to give a fhort account of this lake. It is called, in the Old Teffament, the fea of Chinnereth ; but, in the Evangelifls, it has three feveral names : it is called the fea of Galilee, from the province where it was fituated ; the fea of Tiberias, from a city of that name on it's weflern Ihore ; and the lake of Genefareth, from the name of a confiderable part of Galilee, extending along it's weflern Ihore. According to Jofephus, it was twenty-two miles in length, and five in breadth ; the bottom being of gravel, rendered the water both clear and good tailed : it was faid to be 47 fofter than either fountain or river water; and at the fame time fo cold, that it would not grow warm, though expofed to the rays of the fun in the hottell feafon of the year. The river Jordan runs through this lake, and it abounds with plenty of excellent fiíh, and fome forts that are not to be found in any other place. The countries furrounding this lake, ad- cording to the above-mentioned hifforian, were fertile and populous, efpecially the two Galilees, which contained a great number of towns and villages, the leaf} of which included fifteen hundred fouls. On the eaíl-fide, were the cities of Chorazin, Bethfaida, Gadara, and Hippon on the well, Capernaum, Tiberias, and Tarrichea. From all thefe advantages, it was a com- mon faying amongll the Jews, that God had a peculiar love to the fea of Galilee : and if we confider, that, added to the above-named privileges, it was fo often favoured with the prefence of our great Redeemer, we muff allow, that the obfer- vation was jui ; for frequent were his ex- curfions on thefe waters, while he dwelt at Capernaum ; and once he honoured them with his prefence, and worked a mi- racle in their Breams, after he had rifen from the dead. It was the divine will, that JEsus fhould, fpend a confiderable time in preaching, and working miracles, to confirm the truth of his divine miffion, and inffruet his dif- ciples in the doeirine which they were afterwards to preach through all the na- tions of the world. He did not choofe to take up his abode at Jerufalem, becaufe he knew the oppofition which he would meet with from the Scribes and Pharifees, the chiefprieffs and rulers, and the great men of the nation. The ambition and envy of thefe men would never have fuffered fo celebrated a teacher as Jesus CHRIST, to have refided amongi them ; our Lord therefore chofe to dwell at Ca- pernaum, where he had lately, by refloring the
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