pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Observe here, 1. The person who came to Christ on behalf of his sick daughter, described by his name, Jairus; by his office, a ruler of the synagogue; by his gesture, he fell down at Jesus's feet and worshipped him. This gesture of his was not only a sign of tender affection in him towards his daughter, but also an evidence of his faith in our blessed Saviour; yet his confining Christ's power to his bodily presence, and to the touch of his hand, was a token of the weakness of his faith: Come, says he, and lay thine hand upon her, and she shall live. As if Christ could not have cured her without either coming to her, or laying his hand upon her. Note, All that come to Christ are not alike strong in faith. Yet our blessed Redeemer refuses none who come to him with a sincere faith, though in much weakness of faith. Observe, 2. How readily our Saviour complies with Jairus's request; Jesus went with him. Although his faith was but weak, yet our Saviour doth not reject him, or deny his suit, but readily goes with him. Learn hence, How ready we should be to go to Christ in all our distresses, afflictions, and necessities, who is so ready to hear, and so forward to help us, if we seek him in sincerity, though our faith be feeble. Observe, 3. The great humility of our blessed Saviour in suffering himself to be thronged by poor people: Much people followed him, and thronged him. O'humble and lowly Saviour! How free was thy conversation from pride and haughtiness: how willing to converse with the meanest of the people for their advantage! Our Lord did not only suffer them to come near him, but even to throng him. What an example is here for the greatest persons upon earth to imitate and follow, not to despise the persons, nor disdain the presence of the meanest and poorest of the people; but to look upon some with an eye of favour, upon others with an eye of pity, upon none with an eye of contempt.

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bet

27

tered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment: 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

As our Saviour was on his way to Jairus's house, a diseased woman comes behind him, touches his clothes, and is presently healed. The virtue lay not in her finger, but in her faith; or rather in Christ, which her faith instrumentally drew forth. Observe here, 1. The diseased person, a woman with a bloody flux. Let women here take notice of the miseries which the sin of the first woman has brought upon all women, amongst which this is one, that it has made their bodies subject to unnatural issues and fluxes of blood. Observe, 2. The long continuance of this disease, twelve years. It pleases God to lay long and tedious afflictions upon some of his children in this life, and particularly to keep some of them a very long time under bodily weakness, to manifest his power in supporting them, and to magnify his mercy in delivering them. Observe, 3. This poor woman was found in the use of means; she sought to physicians for help, and is not blamed for it, though she spent all she had upon them. The in times of sickness, especially in dangerous use of physic is not to be neglected by us diseases of the body. To trust to means is to neglect God, and to neglect the means is to tempt God. The health of our bodies

ought to be dear and precious to us, and all lawful means to be used, both to preserve it, to recover it, and confirm it. Observe, 4. The workings and actings of this poor

woman's faith: her disease was unclean

by the ceremonial law, and therefore to be separate from society; accordingly she is ashamed to appear before Christ, but comes behind him to touch his clothes, being firmly persuaded that Christ had a power communicated by God unto him, miraculously to cure incurable diseases. And see how our Saviour encouraged her faith, though she did not believe him to be the eternal Son of God, but one to whom God has communicated a power of healing bodily diseases; yet, says Christ, This thy faith hath made thee whole. Learn hence, That faith oft-times meets with a better welcome from Christ than it did or could expect. This poor woman came to Christ trembling, but went away triumphing. Observe, 5. Christ would have this miracle discovered; he therefore says, Who touched me? and, I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. First, in reference to himself, to manifest his divine power, that by the touch of his clothes he could cure such incurable diseases. Secondly, in relation to the woman, that she might have an opportunity to give God the praise and glory for the cure. And thirdly, With respect to Jairus, that his faith might be strengthened in the belief of Christ's power to raise his daughter. Now from those words, virtue went out of Christ, and he healed them, it is evident, that the virtue which did these miraculous cures resided in Christ, and was not communicated to him; and consequently proves him to be God; for the divine virtue, by which the prophets and apostles did their cures, is ascribed to God; as Acts xix. 11. God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. But the miracles done by Christ are ascribed to the divine virtue dwelling in him. Accordingly here he says, I perceive virtue is gone out of me.

35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master 36 As further? any soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37 And he suffered no

man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth : 40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42 And straightway the damsel arose and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

41

Observe here, 1. The doleful news brought to Jairus's ears, Thy daughter is dead. The Lord doth sometimes suffer the faith of his saints to be hard put to it, greatly assaulted with difficulties and trials. Observe, 2. Our Saviour's seasonable word of comfort, Be not afraid, only believe. Christ is ready to comfort believers in the hour of their strongest temptations and greatest trials. Observe, 3. Christ's application of himself to the raising unto life Jairus's dead daughter. In order to which, 1. He goes into the house only with three of his disciples, which were sufficient to witness the truth of the miracle. Our Saviour, to avoid all show of vain-glory, and to evidence that he sought not ambitiously his own honour and praise, would not work this great miracle publicly before all the people. 2. He rebukes them for the show they make of immoderate grief and sorrow for the dead damsel: they wept and wailed greatly, with minstrels and musical instruments, according to the custom of the heathens, who by a mournful sort of music did stir up the passion of grief at their funerals. To mourn immoderately for the dead is an

heathenish practice and custom. It is hurtful to the living, and dishonourable to the dead; nor is it an argument of more love, but an evidence of less grace. 3.

He adds a reason for this rebuke and re

proof given them; The damsel is not dead but sleepeth. Vobis mortua, mihi dormit: "She is dead to you, but asleep to me;" not so dead as to be beyond my power to raise her to life. Souls departed are under the conduct of angels to their several regions of bliss or misery. It is very probable that the soul of this damsel was under the guard of angels, near her dead body, waiting the pleasure of God in order to its disposal, either to restore it again to the body, or to translate it to its eternal mansion. Observe farther, The nature of death in general, and that of the saints in particular, described; it is a sleep. Sleep is a state of rest; sleep is a sudden surprisal; in sleep there is an insensible passage of our time; the person sleeping shall certainly awake, either in this world, or in the next. It will be our wisdom to prepare for the bed of the grave, and so to live, that when we lie down in it, there may be nothing to disturb our rest. Observe next, The words which our Saviour used at the raising of the damsel, Talithacumi, Syriac words, to show the truth of the miracle, not like a conjurer, muttering a charm in unknown words to himself; and also to show the greatness of the miracle, that he was able to raise her by a word speaking. Observe lastly, The charge given by our Saviour not to divulge this miracle: He charged them straitly that none should know it. That is, not to divulge it imprudently to such of the scribes and Pharisees as would not be convinced by it, but only cavil at it, and be the more enraged against him, and seek his death before his time was come. Also not to divulge it unseasonably, and all at once, but gradually, and by degrees: for it was the will of God that the divine glory of Christ should not be manifested to the world all at once, and on the sudden, but by little and little, during his state of humiliation; for his resurrection was the time appointed for the full manifestation of his Godhead. Rom. i. 4. Declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead.

CHAP. VI.

AND he went out from thence,

and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. 2

And when the sabbath-day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue : and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with And they were offended at

us?

him. 4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages teaching.

Our blessed Saviour having in the former chapter wrought two famous miracles, in curing a woman of her bloody issue, and him here in the beginning of this chapter raising Jairus's daughter from death, we find passing into his own country, that is, the city of Nazareth in Galilee, called his there conceived, there brought up; there own city and country, because he was Joseph and Mary, and his kindred dwelt, and Christ with them, during his private life, which was till he was thirty years of age. Now our Saviour being come into his own country; observe, 1. What his employment was: he preached in their synagogues, and held communion with the Jewish church, although she had many corruptions in her. Teaching us, by his example, not to desert and forsake

the communion of such a church, in which there is found neither heretical doctrine nor idolatrous worship, although many things be found in her culpable and blame-worthy. The Jewish church was certainly such, and yet our Saviour maintained not occasional only, but constant communion with her. Observe, 2. The influence and effect which our Saviour's preaching had upon his own countrymen, the people of Nazareth: it did work

admiration in them, but not faith; they

were astonished, but did not believe. Men may be mightily moved and affected

by the word, and yet may never be converted by it: the men of Nazareth wondered, and yet were offended: they did not believe in him, but were offended at him. Observe, 3. The ground and cause of this their offence, and that was, the meanness of his extraction, and the poverty of his condition: Is not this the carpenter? From whence the ancient fathers, particularly Justin Martyr, concluded, that our Saviour did work at his father Joseph's trade, during his father's life, and thence was called the carpenter's son; and when Joseph was dead, (which was before Christ was thirty years old, when he entered upon his public office,) he was then called the carpenter. The ancients say, he spent his time in making ploughs and yokes, and that thence it was he drew so many similitudes in his preaching from the yoke and the plough. This we are sure of, that our Lord lived not thirty years before his manifestation idly and unprofitably. It is most probable that he followed his father's calling, and wrought under him, it being said, that he was subject to him, Luke ii. 15, as a child to a parent, and as a servant to his master. Add to this, that it seems not only true, but requisite, that Christ should be of some trade, because by the Jewish canons all fathers were bound to teach their children some trade; yea, says the learned Dr. Whitby, their most celebrated Rabbins thought it a great reproach not to be of some trade: doubtless our Lord, during his private life, did give no example of idleness. Indeed, after he entered upon his prophetic office, he no longer followed Joseph's calling, but applied himself wholly to the work of the ministry: he made no more ploughs, but one to break up hard hearts; no more yokes, but one for the devil's neck. However, in regard to our Saviour's low extraction and mean education, his countrymen were offended at him. Learn hence, That the poverty and meanness of Christ's condition, was that which multitudes stumbled at, and which kept many, yea most, from believing on him. None but a spiritual eye can discern beauty in a humbled and abased Saviour. Learn, 2. That it is the property and practice of profane men to take occasion, from the outward quality and condition of God's ministers, both to despise their persons, and to reject their doctrine. Observe, 4. The reason assigned by our Saviour why the men of Na

zareth despised him and set him at nought, because he was their countryman and acquaintance: their familiarity bred contempt. Teaching us, That very often the faithful ministers of God are most contemned and dishonoured where they are most familiarly known. Sometimes the remembrance of their mean original and extraction, sometimes the poverty of their parents' condition, sometimes the indecencies of their childhood, sometimes the follies of their youth, are ripped up; all which are occasions of contempt, and gave ground for this proverbial saying, That a prophet is not without honour save in his own country. Which, like other proverbial speeches, holds true in the general, and that for the most part it is so, but it is not universally true in all persons and cases. However, this good use may be made of our Saviour's observation, to teach his ministers to be wise in conversing with their people, not to make themselves cheap and common in every company, not too familiar with all sorts of persons, nor to be light and vain in any company; for this will certainly breed contempt, both of their persons and ministry. Our duty is, by strictness and gravity of deportment, to maintain our esteem in the consciences of our people, and to temper gravity with condescending affability. That minister who prostitutes his authority, frustrates the end of his ministry, and is the occasion of his own contempt. Observe, 5. How this people's contempt of Christ's person, and unbelief of his doctrine, did hinder Christ from working miracles among them: He could do no mighty works there. was unable, but because they were unwilling. Not as if their infidelity abated his divine power, but they were unprepared to receive any benefit by him; his miracles would have been cast away upon such inconvincible persons. Who will sow upon barren sands, or water dead plants? It was an act of justice in Christ to deprive the Pharisees of those advantages which they had so long resisted. Christ had a natural ability to do mighty works there, but no moral ability. He could not do it honourably, their unbelief was a moral hinderance; so then this inability proceeded from no deficiency in Christ's power, but from a defect in their faith. He could not, because he would not; and he would not, because it was not fit for him so to do. Although Christ be omnipotent,

Not because he

and has all power in his hands, yet unbelief binds his hands, and hinders him in the execution of that power. Unbelief is such a sin, as keeps men from being partakers of the benefits of Christ. Observe, 6. How the incredulity and unbelief of this people was so great, that Christ wondered at it: He marvelled because of their unbelief. Not because he was ignorant of the cause of it, but because he had used such marvellous means for the curing them of their unbelief. Learn hence, That unbelief is a great sin at all times; but when marvels are wrought for the cure and healing of it, and it remains uncured, it is a marvellous sin, and justly causes admiration and wonder in Christ himself: He marvelled because of their unbelief.

7 And he calleth unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

We heard before, chap. iii. of our Saviour's solemn calling his apostles to their work and office: now he sends them forth to execute their office. Where observe, 1. The person that sends them forth; Christ. Learn thence, That none ought to take upon them the office of preaching, or any other ministerial function in the church, till thereunto lawfully called by Christ himself. The apostles were immediately called and sent forth by Christ himself, and received the doctrine which they taught immediately

from Christ's own mouth. His ministers now are called mediately, they receive their authority from Christ by the hands of the governors of his church. Observe, 2. The manner of their sending, by two and two in a company: partly to make their message of more authority; partly to testify their mutual consent in the doctrine which they taught; and partly to comfort and encourage, to help and strengthen, to assist and support each other: in imitation of this example, the Jesuits send forth their emissaries by pairs. Learn hence, That the ministers of the word do stand in great need of the mutual help and comfort, of the united assistance and encouragement of each other, in the weighty duties of their calling and function; like labourers in the harvest-field, they should help one another, hands of the weak. But, Lord, what tears the strong endeavouring to strengthen the

are sufficient to bewail the want of love

and unity, yea, the prevalency of that fear and malignity which is found too often amongst the ministers of the gospel! So that instead of going forth by two and two, happy is he that is alone in a place. Well a-dying, that he was going to a place where might Melancthon bless God, when he lay he should be freed from the implacable hatred of divines. This is, and ought to be, for a lamentation. Observe, 3. The power given by Christ to work miracles for confirming the doctrine of the gospel which his apostles preached; he gave them power over unclean spirits, and they cast out devils, and anointed with oil them that were sick, and healed them. This power to work miracles was necessary for the apostles; partly to procure reverence to their persons, being poor and unlearned men, but principally to gain credit and of faith in the Messiah, as now come, and authority to their doctrine; for the doctrine exhibited in the flesh, being a strange and

new doctrine to the Jews, the truth and certainty of it was to be extraordinarily ratified by Christ's and his apostles' miracles, some of which were casting out of devils; and by anointing with oil, to heal and recover sick persons. This gift of healing remained some time in the church, as appeared by St. James v. 14. Is any sick? Anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. Where observe, That the apostles did not use oil as the instrument and means of healing, (for then the cure had not been miraculous,) but only as a symbol of the cure, or as an outward sign