LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. H A P T E R XII; Cua IsT cleanfeth a fecond Leper i He rebukes the Storm and calms the Sea; He cafieth out the Legion of Devils; and fuffereth them to enter into an Herd of Swine : Is entreated by the Gadarenes to depart; and refufeth the Attendance of himwhom he had healed t He cures a Perfon who had long been afflilled with the Pally 1 And calls Matthew, who was fitting at the Receipt of Cullom: THE difciples now having every Ecru- ple removed, and being fully con- vinced that their Mailer was the Meffiah, left their employment and followed him, while, according to his ufual cuílom, he went through various cities of Galilee preaching the gofpel of the kingdom of God, and confirming his divine dolirines with the moll afionifhing miracles. In oneof thecities whichhe vifited ón this occafion, he found a man faid,bytheevange- liff,to befullofleprofy, who,feeingjefus,fell on hisface, andbefought him, faying,Lord, ìf thouwilt thou canft make me clean. It was the cuflom of the priefls inJudea to drive from the converfation of mankind, thofe perfons who were infected with the conta- gious kind of leprofy ; and as this perfon was permitted to dwell in the city, it may be fuppofed that his leprofy was not of the worli kind. His cafe, however, excited the compaffion of our great Redeemer, who immediately cleanfed him, and com- manded him to depart to Jerufalem, and thew himfelf to the prieft, and ofièr the accuflomary gifts ; but not publifh abroad the account ofhis cure, nor make any noife about it. But the blefling which the poor 'man had received, was fo great and un expelled, and his heart was fo full of gra- titude and joy, that he could not contain it ; and he publifhed the great things which our Lord had done for him to all men where ever he came. This brought fuch crowds of people to the Son of God, that No. 6. he was obliged to depart from Capernaum into the wildernefs, where he fpent force time in retirement, meditation, andprayer. Some writers have fuppofed that this leper, and the other mentioned in the foregoing chapter, wereone and the fame perfon; but this muff be á mifiake, the former being cleanfed in the fields, the latter in the city: after cleanfingthe firfi, Jesus went to Ca- pernaum and healed the centurion's fer- vant; after curing the latter, Jesus retired into the wildernefs, to fhun the vafi multi- tudes which foon gathered round him, from the leper being fo careful to proclaim to all men the miracles which Jesus had wrought. Perhaps it may feeiii firange that the bleffed Jesus fhould be -fo careful to con- ceal his wonderous works, and be looked_. upon, in force meafure, contrary to the end for which theywere performed, which mull certainly be to prove his divine mif- fion. But it may be obferved that his modefly and humility would not allow his works to have the leali appearance of ofientation; nor the Jews to have the leaf} pretence of accufing him of feeking his own"glory, or aiming at popular applaufe. And it may be fuppofed that our great Redeemer did not think it proper, at this time, to irritate the Scribes and Pharifees by the proclamation and publication of his miracles through the kingdom. He very ? well
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