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Chapter Verfe

iv.

13 Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,) And

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leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the fea coaft, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim.' (Here another prophecy of little importance is quoted 17 from Ifaias.) From that time Jefus began to preach and fay-Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' (This is what John had

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18 preached before.)

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And Jefus walking by the 'fea of Galilee, faw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, cafting a net into the fea for they were fifhers. And he 19 faid unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men and they ftraightway left their nets, and followed him. And going from 6 thence he faw other two brethren, James the 'fon of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a fhip with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: 22 and he called them, and they immediately left the fhip and their father, and followed him.' Mark, as ufual, gives nearly the fame account : they both omit a very remarkable scene which was exhibited at Nazareth, the place where from his infancy to his baptifm, (about thirty years) he had dwelt with Jofeph, his mother, brethren, and fifters. Luke records it thus- And Je'fus returned (from the wilderness) in the power of the spirit into Galilee and there went out

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a fame of him through all the region round • about. And he taught in their fynagogues,

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being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as ' his custom was, he went into the fynagogue on 'the fabbath day; and stood up for to read.

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And there was delivered unto him the book of 'the prophet Ifaias: and when he had opened 'the book, he found the place where it was written-The spirit of the Lord is upon me, ⚫ because he hath anointed me to preach the gofpel to the poor; he hath fent me to heal the 'broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,' (why omit, and the opening of 'the prison to them that are bound?' And why add), and recovering of fight to the blind, to fet at liberty them that are bruised? To preach 'the acceptable year of the Lord.' He clofed the book, gave it to the minifter, and fat down. Perceiving he had drawn the people's attention, he faid- This day is this fcripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded 6 out of his mouth. And (yet) they faid-Is not this Joseph's fon? And he said unto them, 'Ye will furely say unto me this proverb-Phy'fician, heal thyself:' (What had he done that he was fo affured of this reproof?)Whatsoever we ⚫ have heard done in Capernaum, do alfo here in thy country.' (What that was, we are not told; and from what followed, we may suppose theirs was a hear-fay account, in which they placed no confidence.)

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confidence.) And he faid, Verily I fay unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows. were in Ifrael in the days of Elias, when the Heaven was fhut up three years and fix months, when great famine was throughout all the land but unto none of them was Elias fent, fave unto Saripta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers " were in Ifrael in the time of Elifeus the prophet and none of them was cleanfed, fave Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the fynagogue, when they heard these things were ' filled with wrath, and rofe up, and thruft him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might caft him down headlong. fing through the midst of them, and came down to Capernaum.' out devils, healed the fick, &c. Here a queftion naturally arifes in the mind-Why did Jefus refufe (or neglect) to do those miracles in Nazareth; in the midst of his relations, his friends, and acquaintance, which it was faid he had done, and which he foon after did again do in Capernaum? Were none of them worth converting? In this ftate we find his brethren, at a future period intreating him. (John, ch. vii. v. 3, 4, 5.) Depart hence (Galilee) and go into Judea, that thy difciples alfo may fee the works that

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But he paf

went his way, Where he caft

' thou

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thou doft, for there is no man that doth any thing in fecret, and he himself feeketh to be known openly: if thou do these things, fhew thyfelf to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.' It cannot be faid, in reply, that those who would not believe his word, would not be influenced by his works, and therefore miracles in this cafe would have been uselefs; Jefus himfelf faid to the Jews in the temple- If I do not the works of my father, believe me not. But if I do; though ye believe " not me, believe the works: that ye may know ' and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.' Vide John, ch. x. v. 37, 38.

Luke proceeds to inform us-that being thus difgracefully ejected from Nazareth, Jefus returned to Capernaum; where, to the astonishment of the people, he taught them upon the fabbath daysFor his word was with power.' In the fynagogue there, a man, poffeffed by an unclean fpirit, cried aloud, Let us alone, what have we 'to do with thee, thou Jefus of Nazareth? Art

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thou come to deftroy us? I know thee who 'thou art: The Holy One of God.' (As Satan appears here to be divided against himself, no wonder he could not stand.) Jefus commanded him to be filent, and leave the man; and the devil having thrown the man in the midft without hurting him, obeyed, to the aftonishment of the spectators. Immediately after this Jefus entered

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entered the house of Simon, whofe wife's mother lay there in a dangerous fever. At their requesthe ftood over her, and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately fhe arofe and miniftered unto them. At fun fetting they brought to him all that were fick or diseased, * and he cured them. And devils alfo came out of many, crying out, and faying-Thou art • Chrift the Son of God. And he rebuking them,

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fuffered them not to fpeak, for they knew that ' he was Chrift.' (If these devils were foolish enough to proclaim, what was their intereft to conceal; and what he himself infinuated when he read and commented upon the prophecy of Efaias ; why impose this filence?) And when it was day, (were these things done in the dark?) he de' parted and went into a defert place and the 'people fought him, and came unto him, and

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ftayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he faid unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities alfo, for

'therefore am I fent. And he preached in the

fynagogues of Galilee.' Notwithstanding this reception, this applause, this intreaty at Capernaum; we find, Matth. ch. xi. v. 23, 24. Jefus denouncing vengeance against it, in these terms

And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto 'Heaven, fhalt be brought down to hell: for if 'the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have

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' remained

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