Zebedee their father, mending | Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the

their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all people.

y c.9.35. Lu.4.15,44.

were broken by the exceeding draught. And Luke tells us that Christ saw two ships, ch. 5. 2, and that these pairs of brothers were partners (ch. 5. 7). It was not of chance that Christ met these, who should be his apostles. Who can doubt that the Shepherd | was out seeking His sheep?

19. Follow me. This was the brief but significant command which Christ commonly gave to those whom He called as disciples. As they were engaged in their ordinary business, this called them to accompany Christ at whatever sacrifice, and to become His steadfast followers. They were first effectually called as disciples, and then made apostles (Mark 3. 13-19). See ý 40, p. 52. They became, by His appointment, fishers of men, as it was their business to preach the gospel, and to win souls to Christ. See Jer. 16. 16.) "Thou shalt catch inen;" Luke 5. 10; that is, "draw men over to the gospel." Christ's ministers must first be Christians. The office has no such virtue as can dispense with piety.

20. They complied straightway immediately. See Ps. 119.60. Their nets were their means of livelihood. This was an effectual calling. And we are to learn from their promptitude, to follow instantly at Christ's call, whether it be to the great duty of repentance, or to any particular work. We are required to leave all and follow Christ. That is, to let nothing keep us back from Christ, or divert our interest from Him. And we are to follow His direction in all duty, and His plan of salvation by grace alone, and His holy example in all things.

21. John his brother. This was "the beloved disciple.". -T With Zebedee their father. On comparing this verse

z c.24.14. Mar.1.14. a Ps. 103.3. c.8.16,17.

with ch. 8. 21, ch. 20. 20, and ch. 26. 55, it is inferred that there is an undesigned coincidence, which attests the veracity of the evangelist. Now Zebedee is alive; but the next passage quoted shows that one of the disciples (few as yet) had lost his father, and wished to bury him; and the next passages cited speak of "the mother of Zebedee's children," showing incidentally that the father had died.-See Biunt's Veracity. |

22. Left the ship and their father. Luke has it, "When they had brought their ships to land" (ch. 5. 11). Christ's call is superior to that of business, and His authority is higher even than that of a parent. We must obey God rather than men. We are even promised rewards, here and hereafter, for such a forsaking of friends and possessions, where this is the only choice. Matt. 19. 29. This is not to induce disobedience in children, or to encourage disrespect to parents. A needless and headstrong resistance of parental authority, even in religious things, is to be condemned. Yet it will sometimes be the effect of true religion in a family to separate the membership. In Matt. 10. 35, it is declared by Christ, as a foreseen result of His work, that He has come "to set a man at variance against his father," &c. Where there is no way left, but either to forsake parents or to forsake Christ, we are to part with father and mother rather than with the Saviour. It is not often, in a Christian land, that children, who act kindly and discreetly in following Christ, are driven to forsake their parents for Him. They should seek to show the excellence of their religion, and win their parents to the Saviour.

24 And his fame went through- | unto him all sick people that out all Syria: and they brought were taken with divers diseases

§ 32. JESUS, WITH HIS DISCIPLES, GOES FROM
CAPERNAUM THROUGHOUT GALILEE.. 4.23-25 1.35-39 4.42-44
1.35-39|4.42–44|

after that of the temple. He attended with the apostles at these churches, and there they addressed the people from the Scriptures read. Luke 4. 15-22. Acts 13. 14, 15. The great advantage derived from the synagogues was the preservation of the true religion among the people. The law was thus preserved, and the Sabbath, and all the institutions of their religion. The truths of Scripture were circulated among the people by this means, where otherwise they must have been kept back. Hence we find that in Ezra's time a reformation in this respect was needed, because the people had been without their houses of worship and habits of worship during the captivity. Nehem. ch. 8.

23. This was a second circuit in Galilee. The third is recorded, Matt. 9. 35. The day after healing Peter's wife's mother ( 31), He went out to a retired place for prayer. Mark 1. 35. ¶ Synagogue, is so called from a Greek word, sunagoge, meaning an assembly. Our word "church" has, in the Greek, a similar derivation from a word meaning to call out from, and so to gather into a body, a separate community. This place of worship, in our Saviour's time, was not of any recent establishment among the Jews. Little is said about synagogues in the Old Testament. There were "high places," spoken of commendably, as 1 Sam. 9. 19, and 10. 5, 13, 1 Kings 3. 4, &c., which may have been the synagogues. The temple was the exclusive place for sacrificing. But for keeping the Sabbath as a day of holy convocation (Psalm 26. 12 and 68. 26), in different communities, and for celebrating those solemnities obligatory, besides the three festivals at Jerusajem, must there not have been synagogues-places of worship-else must they not have lost the law, the Sabbath, and their religion? In the syna-Teaching. gogue service, the Old Testament was read and expounded, and prayer was offered. The books of Moses, and part of the prophetic books, were systematically read through each year. These were the parish churches in our Saviour's time. Christ found them in universal use. Nearly five hundred of them were in the single city of Jerusalem before it was destroyed by the Romans. It is not wonderful that the Christian church, which our Lord instituted, should have been constructed after this model, and not

Gospel of the kingdom. By this is meant, that gospel which proclaims the reign of Christ, and by the preaching of which the kingdom of Christ is set up and established among men. The gospel belongs to this kingdom, as the grand feature of this new dispensation. The coming of this kingdom was mainly in the preaching and power of the gospel among men.

Instructing-expound

ing the Scripture; which was done in a sitting posture, after it had been read standing. He taught them the law, and preached to them the gospel. He healed the sick by the word of His power, to give proof of the gracious nature and Divine authority of His work.

24. Syria. In the New Testament it is the name of the Roman province (Matt. 4. 24. Luke 2. 2. Acts 15. 23, 41, and 18. 18, and 20. 3, and 21. 3. Gal. 1. 21), which was governed by Presidents, and to which Phenicia

and torments, and those which | those that had the palsy; and were possessed with devils, and he healed them. those which were lunatic, and

25 And there followed him

and, with slight interruption, Judea moniacs confess that they were posalso were attached. It included the sessed with demons. Mark 5. 9. So country between the Euphrates and do their relatives. Matt. 15. 22. The the Mediterranean, from the moun- sacred writers assert that such were tains of Taurus and Amanus in the brought unto Jesus, Matt. 4. 24. Mark N., to the desert of Suez and the bor- 1. 32-or met Him. Luke 8. 27. Jeders of Egypt on the S. Mark (1.28) sus commands them not to make Him reads, “into the country surrounding known as Messiah. Mark 1. 24. He reGalilee."- T Lunatic. Those afflict- buked them. Matt. 17.18. The evaned with epilepsy or a mental derange- gelists declare that the demons department, which was supposed to increase ed from the victims at His command. with the increase of the moon-moon-moon- | Matt. 17. 18. Mark 9. 25, 26. Luke 4. struck. Hence our word has a Latin | 35; 11. 14. And Christ himself so derivation from luna, which signifies the moon, and the Greek term here is similarly derived. -T The palsy. A paralysis, either of the whole system or of one side, or of the trunk and limbs, or a cramp or contraction and stiffening of the parts. Various diseases of this nature are included under this term in the New Testament. It is known at the East as a very fearful and fatal disease, which terminates suddenly after the most racking pains. ¶ Possessed with devils. Some are fond of making this a mere popular theory, and one which our Saviour and his apostles only chose not to contradict-speaking of diseases as though they were from a possession of evil spirits. But Jesus addresses the demons as such (Matt. 8. 32. Mark 5. 19. Luke 4. 35). So does Paul. Acts 16. 18. Jesus bids them be silent, Mark 1. 25—to depart and enter no more into the person. Mark 9. 25. See Luke 10. 18, and the context; and Matt. 12. 25-context; and Matt. 12. 43, 44-context; in all which places the demons are spoken of, in connexion with Satan, as satanic beings, and their nature is explained. The New Testament writers distinguished between the diseased and the demoniacs. Mark 1. 32. Luke 6. 17, 18. And Jesus himself does so. Matt. 10. 8. The demons knew Christ to be the Son of God. Matt. 8. 29. Mark 1. 24; 5. 7. And "the Christ." Luke 4. 41. The de

asserts. Luke 13. 32. To the demons themselves were ascribed personal acts. They spake, conversed, asked questions, gave answers, asserted their personal knowledge of Christ, and their dread of Him. Matt. 8.29. Luke 8. 28. They are spoken of as having locomotion; changing their locality; going out of one person possessed; and entering into other bodies. Matt. 8. 32. This only shows us what influence over men is held by the prince of the power of the air; and Christ, by this means, exhibited His supremacy over the legions of darkness. Christ healed the people by miraculous power, and this power He exerted to attest His divinity, and to prove His claims and work. "Believe me for the very works' sake" (John 14. 11).A miracle, is a supernatural work-an effect produced above, or against the laws of nature-requiring the same Divine power as instituted those laws, to suspend or contravene them. Christ wrought miracles by His own power, and this proved Him to be God. The apostles wrought miracles in His name, Acts 3. 6, which also attested His divinity as the source of their work. The argument is, that a miracle is of God, and that this stamp of Divine prerogative would not be set upon any doctrines or claims that were false. Hence, a miracle wrought, as the raising of Lazarus from the grave by a word, after several days' burial—or of

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,c 3 Blessed are the poor

c Lu.6.20,&c. d Is.57.15; 66.2.

d in

e

spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn:

e Ja.2.5.

such have for salvation (Matt. 19. 23. Zeph. 3. 12. Luke 18. 24. Ps. 10. 14), though often the poorest are the proud

mony, viz., at Jerusalem, Capernaum, and elsewhere in Galilee ( 33 to 40). He has called Matthew, and has chosen the twelve. The multi-est-for true religion is not the growth tudes. These are not those mentioned of outward circumstances. Worldly in verse 25, preceding, but other multi- poverty cannot produce piety. This tudes, spoken of in Matt. 12. 15, 21, and disposition here called " BLESSED," is Mark 3. 7, 12. See j 39, p. 52. The that humility which is characteristic common mistake on such points, of Christians-that lowliness and shows how important it is to study meekness which Christ himself patthis evangelical history harmonized, terned for us in the flesh, and which and not as though it were a consecu- we are exhorted to put on, and to be tive record of events. This dis- clothed with. It is unpretending-not course of our Lord is commonly boastful of desert before God-subknown as "the Sermon on the Mount," missive to His will and plan, and the because it was a set discourse, exposi- opposite of high looks and high tory of the law and the gospel, pro- mindedness. This would show that nounced by Him from the slope or His gospel makes the lowly, who are summit of a hill, in the suburbs of judged badly off, truly happy. Such Capernaum.- - His disciples are now are "blessed". -or happy, as the term spoken of as a class who had become more literally is. They are happy in His regular attendants and followers. the nature of the case, and Christ proAll the multitude were not His disci-nounces them blessed, as His benedicples, yet He meant to instruct them, | tion. This is a vital element of and especially His followers.- Christian character. For theirs. ¶ When he was set. This was the cusThis was the cus- Such have the kingdom of heaven tom of the Jewish doctors, who sat, in already set up in their hearts. "He token of their authority. that believeth hath everlasting life," and to such Christ accords the benefits of His kingdom (Ps. 132. 15, and 138. 6). Men should be humble, because they are frail and empty, and in the hands of God; because they have nothing sure, but are liable to adversity and death; and because they are sinners, and deserve nothing but wrath. Besides, the truly humble have the greatest blessings promised them; even that with them God himself dwelleth, as in His honoured and favoured abode. Poverty can be a blessing only, as leading us to such durable riches and righteousness. Ps. 9. 18; 10. 14; 68. 10; 69. 32; 72.4; 107. 41; 140. 12. Matt. 11. 5. James 2. 5. "He giveth grace unto the humble." James 4. 6. This poverty of spirit is not a mere melancholy, or a mere sanctimony, but the very essence of inward piety, which is most

2. Opened his mouth. This hints of a weighty doctrine, and a special discourse. (See Job 3. 1. Acts 8. 35). Christ here set forth the spiritual nature of His kingdom, and its accordance with the true spirit of the law and prophets.

་

3. Blessed. This is Christ's benediction. It supposes His authority to bless. Such are happy who are blessed of Him, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This includes all the gospel blessings "grace, mercy, and peace." -¶ Poor in spirit. Luke says, Blessed be ye poor, or the poor (6. 20). These things are often connected. A gracious poverty of spirit is remarked as being associated, in God's plans of grace, with poverty of worldly lot. "For he hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith." And there are facilities noticed in Scripture which