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54. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

55. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

Christ knew meat to be necessary. He would not, however, work another miracle for the preservation of her life, but left her to the use of ordinary means.

56. And her parents were astonished: and he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

A little time before he bade the demoniac show how great things God had done unto him. Here he gives a contrary charge. The reason of which may be this. It was fit that his miracles should be known in part, and they were wrought for that end. But he would not have them noised abroad too much, lest the Pharisees should apprehend him before the time. When his time came, he offered himself to it; and by his public entry into Jerusalem, as it were, put himself into their hands.

SECTION XXX.

Chap. ix. ver. 1—17.

CHRIST SENDS OUT HIS APOSTLES ;-HEROD DESIRES TO SEE HIM.

1. Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

What Jesus did then by his disciples, for the bodies of men, he is always ready, with his ministers, to do for their souls; and one is the proof and assurance of the other. Let us think where we most want healing, and whose fault it is, if we are not helped.

VOL. II.

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2. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

They to whom they were sent could not plead ignorance; nor can we: the kingdom of God is preached to us. Let us choose, whether we will be his subjects, or those of Satan. These two kingdoms divide the world.

3. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

They were not to busy themselves, or spend time in laying in provision for it, but to enter immediately upon their office, and have no care but that of discharging it. They were to depend upon God for a maintenance, to which he here gives them a right.

4. And whatsoever house ve enter into, there abide, and thence depart.

They were to be content with the entertainment with which they met; and not to go from house to house for the sake of better.

5. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

Whosoever does not, will not. God will have this to lay to the charge of all who refuse his offer of salvation. You are undone, if you do not give up your vain excuses. In token of God's abhorrence and utter rejection of them, for slighting their call, shake off the dust from your feet against them. This is terrible to think of. Take warning. God knows if the apostles were to come now to this place, whether they would not shake off the very dust from their feet.

6. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

Thus they were intent on their work, leaving us an example that we should follow their steps.-Edit.

7. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him:

and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead:

8. And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

Some said one thing, and some another, but none hit upon the truth. There was a great deal of vain reasoning, but no faith. "Here we may learn to detect a common error into which men fall, when they attempt to judge of the doctrines of religion, by the opposite opinions which are afloat in the world. They judge that the Bible must contain the doctrines advanced by one of the extreme parties, when in truth, the opinions though disagreeing with each other, are all opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ."-Edit. 9. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Herod desired to see Christ; and when he did, he set him at nought. Great numbers desire to hear of him, in every age, and after all their hearing, they make light of him.

10. And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

We may suppose they told him to this effect: here they received us; there they did not: here they listened to our preaching; there they stopped their ears, and would not hear the truth. He knows without their report, how we hear.

We shall see presently for what end Christ took them aside privately. He wished to have an opportunity of feeding the multitude by a miracle, where no bread was to be had. Our souls may be compared to that desert place: but Christ has food for them; and wherever he is, there can be no want of food.

11. And the people, when they knew it, followed him and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

We here see that the people did not follow Christ in vain; as indeed, none ever shall. He took effectual care both of their souls and bodies.

12. And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals for we are here in a desert place.

Let us take occasion from the observation of St. Luke, that "the day began to wear away," to ask ourselves these questions: Is our day wasting apace upon our hands? and are we still in a starving condition for want of Christ?

13. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat.

So he still says to his ministers. And he will surely command a blessing, wherever there is a hunger for his spiritual meat.

13. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

The apostles were weak in faith, and did not consider who said, "Give ye them to eat."

14. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

15. And they did so, and made them all sit down.

16. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

17. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there were taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

This miracle may give encouragement to the poorest to trust in Christ, in all their wants and necessities.-Edit.

SECTION XXXI.

Chap. ix. ver. 18—36.

PETER'S CONFESSION, AND CHRIST'S TRANSFIGURATION.

18. And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?

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Christ was a pattern of private prayer: and the holier men are, the more they imitate him in this respect. Let this be your test. Those who neither do nor can pray in private, are not Christians. And prayer, is from what the heart feels.

19. They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

This confession is salvation. But perhaps Peter could not have made it, if Christ had not prayed for him beforehand, as at verse the eighteenth. He does not forget us now he is in heaven. But when did we say to him ourselves, Lord, reveal thyself to my heart?

21. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

Among other reasons, Christ gave this command because the strongest proof to the world of his being the Saviour was still to come, namely, his resurrection. And besides, the apostles, as yet, were not fit to preach this truth. As yet they were but half believers, as appears by what follows. It was a great surprise to them to hear of Christ suffering and dying.

22. Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

23. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Our Lord here teaches, that if any one will be his disciple, he must deny his corrupt self, earthly bent, natural will and wisdom, all which things are wholly against what is here taught us. Such persons must be ready, as Jesus was, to suffer and die for the truth. This lesson was more im-mediately for the apostles, and they happily learned it of him. But we must not forget that it was said to all. All are alike concerned in it, when they are called to suffering and

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