(Matt. viii. 23-34; Mark iv. 35, seq.; Luke viii. 22-40). Who of us can hesitate to seek refuge and grace to help' in Jesus, when in doubt, temptation, distress, sickness, or the hour of death? In him may we find 'one mighty to save' (Is. lxiii. 1).

The boat soon arrived at her destination, at the south-eastern margin of the lake. Going on shore, Jesus set his foot in Pere'a, the land beyond Jordan' (Matt. iv. 25). This district was under two princes; Philip the tetrarch governed the north, which was the larger portion, and Herod Antipas the south. The inhabitants of the district were for the most part pagans, being men of Greek, Syrian, and Arabian blood. There were few Jews among them. The Jews of Perea were held in disesteem by those who lived on the west of the Jordan, though, in truth, they had more worth, since, living among men of other races, they were less proud, more cultivated, and better acquainted with the arts and sciences of the day. Busied, also, for the most part, with the duties of pasturage, they were more simple in their tastes and modes of life.

It was to a place called Ga'dara that Jesus was proceeding. This, at least, is the name intended in Mark and Luke. With Matthew the place is Ge'rgesa. Ga'dara and Ge'rgesa, you will see, are very much alike; and you can easily understand how, when books were written and not printed, one might be changed into the other. Such a mistake appears to have been here made by a very early copyist of Matthew's Gospel. Indeed,

in several manuscripts of that Gospel, Gadara, and not Gergesa, is meant. Now we are not sure that there was a place in this part of Perea named Gergesa; but we know there was a city called Gadara. Hence we infer that the place intended was Gadara. And some learned editors of the New Testament have taken Gadara into Matthew's text, excluding Gergesa.

This affords an opportunity of explaining, by an instance, what is meant by various readings.' Gadara and Gergesa are ' various readings.' And the skill by which these 'various readings' are investigated, their relative value estimated, and the true text (that is, the words, as written by the author) is ascertained, bears the appellation of Biblical Criticism.' When once the genuine text is ascertained, then comes the duty of discovering and setting forth its meaning. This office is called 'Biblical Interpretation,' or 'Biblical Exegesis.' Finally, the preacher has to expound the Scriptures for the edification of his hearers. His duty bears the name of 'Popular Exposition.'

This

There is another diversity. Matthew, in narrating the event which we shall presently describe, speaks of two demoniacs; Mark and Luke of only one. The difference may have arisen from the fact that the one employs the plural number, saying, 'for we are many' (Mark v. 9, comp. Luke viii. 31). discrepancy, however, has been magnified into a contradiction, and from the thus made contradiction it has been inferred that the event never took place. Such is the nature of a large portion of the arguments with which some have endeavoured to destroy men's belief in the gospel. Now, suppose that we have here a contradiction, what does it amount to? Does it in the least affect the substance of the narrative? That remains the same, whether there were two or one. But there is no contradiction. The greater includes the less. Matthew, in saying there were two, declares that there was one. If one historian, in writing a history of the United States, were to say, that in the year 1824 Lafayette paid a visit to that country; and if another affirmed that in the same year Lafayette and his son made a tour therein, would not each rather confirm than contradict the other?

Gadara lay about four miles south-east of the lake, just beyond the river Hieromax (Sheriat Mandhur), on the side of the loftiest hill in the vicinity. The place is represented by the modern village Omkeis, near which are found many caves in the limestone rock of the country, which were formerly burialplaces, and now in part serve as human abodes, in part are empty -save that in some are remains of stone coffins. Considerable ruins of the ancient town are still found, which show that it was a handsome and opulent city. Its ancient inhabitants were Jews, Greeks, and Syrians, the two last of whom traded in cattle, especially swine. gone before Jesus; and therefore, when he arrived

Rumour had

near Gadara, a demoniac, or madman, came rushing on in front. This unhappy being, according to the custom of the time, had been suffered to seek shelter in tombs, and live on what the earth spontaneously offered. Convinced now that the Messiah was come to destroy the powers of darkness, the madman, fancying himself possessed by a demon, had formed his notions and now spoke after the manner imputed to evil spirits. Their ruin was near; for the Christ was come. Still they could rebuke, if they could not resist, the Messiah. Hence the tone taken by the Gadarene demoniac. Jesus pitied his hallucinations, and healed him. In order to do so, he in a measure yielded to the man's fancies, and, as he requested that the unclean spirits might enter the unclean (so considered by the Jews) swine that fed on the slope of the hill, our Lord gave his assent. The man came to his right mind; the swine perished. Is not one man more than myriads of swine ? And had not God's own Son a right to do what he pleased with his own? for God's are the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 1. 10). The restored Gadarene was desirous of following Jesus. The Lord, however, bade him go and publish the wonderful cure. How is this? We have before found Christ forbidding those who were healed to speak of what he had done for them; now he sends this man to proclaim it aloud. In the two cases the circumstances were dissimilar. West of the Jordan our Lord chiefly dwelt and taught, and there he found his notoriety inconveniently great. The north of Perea he had not visited before, and there he had previously done no wonderful works. He was, moreover, about to quit it; for the Gadarenes, alarmed at the first impression, entreated him to retire. Hence it became desirable that the man now restored to a sane mind should go up and down as a living witness, known to many, of the beneficent power possessed and exerted by Jesus.

Mark, with that regard to particulars which is characteristic of him, says of the demoniac, 'he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him' (v. 4). This is a painful picture of the course of old pursued with the insane. We have said 'of old;' we might have said 'till recently.' Under the false notion that matter was stronger than mind, benevolent and even medical men employed chains and fetters in their treatment of those who were mentally diseased. The remedy was vain. Nay, it made the disorder worse. Sufferings the most intense and protracted-sufferings that prison walls too long concealed, were thus inflicted on the insane. Yet Jesus had pointed out the only efficacious method of treatment, in the prudence, gentleness, and moral power which form leading features in his cure of the demoniac of Gadara. Well may the apostle Paul have declared that in Christ lay'all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. ii. 3). In pro

portion as the mind of our Saviour is known, in proportion as his spirit prevails, will the resort to force and violence become less and less, and the reign of fair Peace and all-subduing Love be established in the earth (Matt. viii. 28-34; Mark v. 1—21; Luke viii. 26-40).

CHAPTER XIV.

JESUS RE-CROSSES THE LAKE TO CAPERNAUM-HEALS JAIRUS' DAUGHTER-GOES TO NAZARETH-SENDS OUT THE TWELVE -RETURNS TO CAPERNAUM-VISITS BETHSAIDA-FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND PERSONS-AND COMES BACK TO CAPERNAUM.

April 15th to 18th, A. D. 29.

Jesus may have intimated to the inhabitants of Capernaum that his absence would not be of long duration. It is, however, certain that many of them awaited him on the shore, and received him among them with a hearty welcome. The enthusiasm on his behalf ascended above the ordinary crowd. One of the rulers of the synagogue there hastened to Jesus on his return, entreating him to save from death his only daughter. As he proceeded to the ruler's house, he was pressed on by accompanying crowds, when a sick woman gave an evidence of the intense and vivid feeling that prevailed, by touching his garment, in order to appropriate the healing virtue held to reside in him. This incident shows beyond a mistake the impression which Jesus had made on the minds of the people. Nor do we see how that impression could have been produced, had no wonderful works been done by Jesus; nor how his alleged miracles could have been wrought into the very texture of the narrative, had they been the unwarranted additions made by fancy and feeling long after the recorded events. It is in an atmosphere of nature and miracle intermingled together that Jesus moves about. The two elements are essential to constitute the historical reality presented by his life. Natural events lead to miraculous ones; miraculous events lead to natural ones; the two act and re-act on one another; so that if either is removed, all relation of cause and effect -all proportion between antecedents and consequents, are taken away, the thread of the history is broken, and its unity disappears. You may invent, but cannot from existing materials write, a history of Jesus, if you omit his miracles.

What, for instance, has brought Jäi'rus to the feet of Jesus, beseeching his immediate aid? His daughter's sickness? Yes; but why not go to the priests? Why does he come to Jesus?

As a ruler of the synagogue, he could have had no predilection towards the innovator. What has overcome his prejudices and brought him to Christ? His conduct is a proof of his conviction that Christ had aid to afford. But how, unless by miracle? How, unless God was with him? And if Jäi'rus, one of the chief men of Capernaum, had been led to believe that Jesus had power over life and death, his conviction affords us valuable aid in arriving at a knowledge of the real facts.

Meanwhile, the girl had died. Jesus entered, took her by the hand, bade her arise, and she arose. That the family believed she was dead, is evidenced by the presence of the public mourners, who were already putting forth their melancholy strains. That her restoration was well evidenced, appears from the fact that it was witnessed by the damsel's father and mother, and also by Peter, James, and John (Matt. ix. 18-26; Mark v. 21—43; Luke viii. 41-56).

Afraid of the consequences of increasing the already inconvenient crowds that pressed around, Jesus commanded the witnesses not to publish the miracle, and immediately proceeded to Nazareth (April 15, 782). Here, however, the public mind was dull and unimpressible. He entered the synagogue and taught. Some were astonished; but the bulk were scandalised at the thought of his being 'the carpenter, the son of Mary,' and could in no way bring themselves to the humiliation of learning of him. Jesus marvelled at their unbelief.' And, after all he had done and said at their very doors, good reason had he to marvel. And marvel still he must, in knowing how many members of his visible church have precisely the same low feelings as those which led his own townsmen to despise himself. O! this respect for mere external greatness is a plague-spot in Christian societies! It is still the rank, rather than the man, that we honour! An angel from heaven would not be listened to as a teacher among us, if he bore traces of being a 'carpenter.' The leprosy of fashion covers the church and destroys its vitality. Come, Lord Jesus, come into our hearts, that we may see, feel, judge, and act with thine eyes, instead of those of our own fleshly wisdom, which in deed very folly and weakness! (Matt. xiii. 53-58; Mark vi. 1—5).

Yet a few hours after he had endured the contemptuous looks of the members of the synagogue, Jesus declared—and the declaration remains written for us and for our children-that it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in a judgment-day, than for those who did not receive his apostles, not one of whom would now obtain a hearing in our churches, did he appear there in the humble equipment with which Jesus sent them forth, and with the unlettered and provincial tongue by which they announced the glad tidings to the world. This, however, appears to be the occasion when the head of the newly