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that no finite understanding could comprehend, till God himself was pleased to reveal it.

Having performed this astonishing miracle in the synagogue, our Lord retired to Peter's house, where he found his wife's mother sick of a fever; but, on taking her by the hand, she was immediately restored to her former health, and arose from the bed, and ministered unto him."

The Evangelist, St. Luke, in his account of this miraculous cure, tells us, that "he rebuked the fever," (Luke, iv. 39) to intimate his authority over all diseases; being analogous to the figurative expressions in scripture, which not only represent all inanimate creatures as servants to the Almighty, but diseases, famine, pestilence, and the like, as executioners, waiting on him to inflict punishment on rebellious sinners. "Before him went the pestilence, and burning diseases went forth at his feet."

The fame of these miracles was soon spread through the city; and as soon as the sabbath was over, which ended at the setting of the sun, the whole city was gathered together about Peter's house, and with them great numbers of sick persons and those possessed with devils. The sight of so many human objects in distress excited the pity of this heavenly physician; so that he immediately healed them all. And thus was the prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled: "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses."

But the vast concourse of people that now gathered round him in Capernaum began to be troublesome, and he retired into a desert, whither the multitude soon followed him, and entreated him never to depart from them. But as this request was inconsistent with the design of his mission, he, for the first time, refused their request, "and preached in the synagogues of Galilee." Luke, iv. 44.

CHAPTER VIII.

Jesus confirms his Mission by producing a miraculous Draught of Fishes;-curing the Leprosy a second Time ;-appeasing the boisterous Waves ;-casting Devils out of divers Persons grievously possessed.

OUR blessed Lord, having spread his doctrine throughout Galilee, returned to Capernaum, followed by such numbers of people that he found it necessary to step into Peter's ship:

from whence he taught the multitude, who stood on the shore listening, with great attention, to his doctrine.

Having concluded his discourse, he turned himself to Simon Peter, desiring him to launch out further from the shore, and let down his net. On which the disciple told him of the unsuccessful pains they had taken during the whole night; but added, that he would, in obedience to his command, make one trial more. Nor had he any cause to repent; for the net was no sooner in the lake, than they found it so full of large fishes, that it was in danger of breaking.

This success, after such ill fortune, astonished Peter, who, falling down at the feet of Jesus, cried out, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." He was conscious of the many sins he had been guilty of, and therefore afraid of being in the company of so divine a person, lest some infirmity or offence might have exposed him to more than ordinary chastise

ment.

But the benevolent Redeemer of mankind removed his fears, by telling him, that from thenceforth the employments of him and his companions should be far more noble: they should "catch men;" that is, they should turn them from the crooked path of iniquity, to the straight road leading to the heavenly .mansions.

This miracle was considered by the disciples as a plainer manifestation of his being the Son of God, than those they had seen him perform on the sick in the city and neighborhood of Capernaum. It was a received opinion among the Jews, that all good men, by prayers, and laying their hands on the sick, were able to cure certain diseases, and even to cast out devils; but that the creatures inhabiting the elements of air or water were subject only to the commands of Omnipotence himself: consequently, the power shewn by our blessed Saviour, on this occasion, undeniably proved him to be divine. And, accordingly, this demonstration of his power rendered these disciples, for the future, absolutely devoted to his will; and in the greatness of their admiration they abandoned every thing, and followed the Saviour of the world.

The disciples being thus attached to their divine Master, followed him through the cities of Galilee, where, according to his usual custom, he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God, and confirmed the doctrines he delivered with astonishing miracles.

In one of the cities through which he passed, he found "a man full of leprosy, who seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Luke, v. 12.

It was the custom in Judea for the priests to banish from society those persons who were afflicted with the contagious species of leprosy. The disease of this person, therefore, was of a less pestilent kind, as he was suffered to enjoy the conversation of men. His case, however, excited the pity of the compassionate Jesus, who immediately cleansed him, ordered him to repair to Jerusalem, and, after shewing himself to the priest, offer the gifts commanded by Moses, giving him the same admonition he had done to others, namely, not to tell any man what he had done for him. But the blessing he had received was so great and unexpected, that, instead of concealing, he published every where the great things Jesus had done for him; which brought such crowds to the Son of God, that he was obliged to retire from Capernaum into the wilderness, to refresh his body with rest, and his spirit with prayer and meditation.

The generality of commentators suppose that this leper, and the other mentioned in the foregoing chapter, are one and the same person; but this is a mistake. The former was cured in the fields, the latter in the city. After cleansing the first, Jesus went to Capernaum, and healed the centurion's servant: but after curing the latter, he retired into the wilderness to shun the prodigious crowds, which soon gathered round him, from the leper's publishing every where the miracle Jesus had wrought for him.

If the curious should inquire why our blessed Saviour so often commanded the people to conceal his miracles? we answer then, his modesty and humility would not suffer that his works should have the least appearance of ostentation; nor the Jews to have the least pretence for accusing him of "seeking his own glory." Nor was it proper, at this time, to irritate too greatly the scribes and pharisees. He well knew that in a certain determinate space of time they would bring about what had been determined by Providence concerning him. In the mean time," he was to work the works of him that sent him, while it is day," (John, ix. 4,) and to propagate his Gospel with the greater facility, both among the Jews and Gentiles; which could not have been so conveniently performed, if the greatness of his miracles had once provoked the malice and envy of his enemies, to exert their utmost power against him. He likewise knew the mad capricious humor of the multitude, and had reason to apprehend "that they would come and take him away by force, to make him king," (John, vi. 15.) if all his miracles had been blazed abroad, before he had sufficiently instructed them in the spiritual nature of his kingdom, and that his throne was not to be established in the earthly, but in the heavenly, Jerusalem.

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"When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

"For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken."-Luke v. 8. 9.

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