were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. 33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. 35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease the people. among 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they || fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, 'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. uch. xv. 22, & xx. 30, 31. Mark x. 47, 48. Luke xviii. 38, 39.-x ch. viii. 4, & xii. 16, & xvii. 9. Luke v. 14.—y Mark vii. 36.-z See ch. xii. 22. Luke xi. 14.— a ch. xii. 24. Mark iii. 22. Luke xi. 15.-b Mark vi. 6. Luke xiii. 22. e ch. iv. 23.-d Mark vi. 34. || Or, were tired and lay down. e Num, xxvii. 17. 1 Kin. xxii. 17. Ezek. xxxiv. 5. Zech. x. 2.-f Luke x. 2. John iv. 35. 2 Thes. iii. 1. READER. We may proceed at once to our practical reflections on this portion of the sacred narrative. Two blind men followed him, crying. They followed him with their entreaties. We must not only pray, but be importunate in prayer. Thou Son of David.-A confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah.Spiritual sight, notwithstanding natural blindness. Believest thou that I am able to do this?-Christ demands not only an acknowledgment of his power and office, but also a persuasion of his power, and his ability to save.Able to do this.-We must believe in the power of Christ with reference to our particular need; must be persuaded of it, trust in it,-and hope for its exercise. According to your faith be it unto you. If we do not believe, we cannot find favour with God;-but we shall find it, and enjoy the sense of it, in proportion to our faith.-See Ps. xxxi. 19. - As soon as As they went out. some went, others came. When one kind of disease was cured, another presented itself. How many also are the spiritual wants of men! How many men have need of mercy! How unwearied is the Redeemer in doing good! A dumb man possessed with a devil. -The effects of Satanic possession sometimes assumed the appearance of natural diseases.-A man who neither confesses his sins to God, nor offers up prayer or praise, is well represented by the dumb man. When the devil was cast out the dumb - spake. When the cause and source of sin is removed, the symptoms of sin disappear.-See Isaiah, xxxv. 5, 6. We hear thy word of love § XXXIV. CHAP. X. 1—15. WATTS. The multitudes marvelled-But the Pharisees said.The works of Christ excite in some men wonder, in others opposition, in how few faith! He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.-What an effect of jealousy and malice! What inconsistency and absurdity in the suppo-him his twelve disciples, he gave sition! What impiety in the assertion! But see 2 Tim. iii. 10. He was moved with compassion on them.-Such is the compassion of the Redeemer for men's souls, destitute of spiritual strength and vigour, erring and straying from the ways of peace. The soul faints without the bread of life, and wanders in error and darkness without the appointed lamp of light. The harvest plenteous. Many souls to be saved; and many mercies in store for these many souls.-The labourers few. Too little sense of the value of the harvest; too great a disposition to idle self-indulgence.The work of the ministry is laborious, but it is necessary, and delightful, bringing its own reward. It is the prerogative of God to send; it is our duty to pray, and to act accordingly. PSALM XIX. Behold, the morning sun Begins his glorious way; His beams through every region run, But where the gospel comes It spreads diviner light; It calls dead sinners from their tombs, And gives the blind their sight. Christ sendeth out his twelve Apostles. AND "when he had called unto them power || against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, 'who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphæus, and Lebbæus, whose surname was Thaddeus; Reader. Concerning the names of the Apostles, recited in vv. 2-4, I need only remark that Bartholomew is probably the same as Nathanael, John i. 46,- Lebbæus, surnamed Thaddeus, is Judas or Jude, the brother of James,-and Simon the Canaanite is otherwise called Simon Zelotes, Luke vi. 15. 9 " || Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor "brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet † staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.gion was a mixture of Judaism and 11 "And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. The Samaritans (v. 5) were the descendants of a people who had been sent to Samaria by Shalmanezer, king of Assyria. Their reli heathenism; they professed to receive the Pentateuch as of divine authority, and they had a temple on Mount Gerizim. They were re 12 And when ye come into garded with peculiar jealousy and hatred by the Jews. an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, 'shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. a Mark iii. 13, 14; & vi. 7. Luke vi. 13; & ix. 1. Or, over.-b John i. 42.-c Luke vi. 15. Acts i. 13. d John xiii. 26.-e ch. iv. 15. ƒ See 2 Kin, xvii. 24. John iv. 9, 20.-g ch. xv. 24. Acts xiii. 46. h Is. liii. 6. Jer. 1. 6, 17. Ezek. xxxiv. 5, 6, 16. 1 Pet. ii. 25.-i Luke ix. 2. k ch. iii. 2; & iv. 17. Luke x. 9.- Acts viii. 18, 20. -m 1 Sam. ix. 7. Mark vi. 8. Luke ix. 3; & x. 4; & xxii. 35. Or, Get. n See Mark vi. S.- Gr. a staff. o Luke x. 7. 1 Cor. ix. 7, &c. 1 Tim. v. 18.-p Luke x. 8- Luke x. 5. r Ps. xxxv. 13.-s Mark vi. 11. Luke ix. 5; & x. 10, 11. Neh. v. 13. Acts xiii. 51 ; & xviii. 6.—t ch, xi. 22, 24. The scrip mentioned in v. 10 was a leathern bag or pouch for carrying provisions. READER. He gave them power, &c.-Truly this was the Son of God! -This power was a confirmation of their doctrine; and an emblem of the effects to be produced by the faithful preaching of the Gospel, with the influence of the Holy Spirit.-All manner of sickness. In the Gospel and the grace of God we find a remedy for spiritual maladies of every kind. The twelve Apostles.-Chosen from among the disciples (See 2 Tim. ii. 2); commissioned and sent to preach the Gospel, and to lay the foundation. of the Christian church. They were eye-witnesses of the facts which they proclaimed, and were endowed with the power of exercising and imparting miraculous gifts; and in these respects were different from all Christian ministers who had succeeded them. They corresponded in number to the twelve patriarchs and tribes of Israel; see Luke xxii. 30; Rev. xii. 1; xxix. 12-14. St. Paul was afterwards added to their company. And Judas Iscariot.-Tares among the wheat, and even wolves among the sheep. See John vi. 70; 2 Tim. ii. 19. Lost sheep of the house of Israel.Who belonged, by covenant, to a sacred fold, but, in heart and practice, had reeled and strayed into regions of sin and error! See Jer. ii. 6; 1 Pet. ii. 25.-Salvation was proclaimed to the Jews first. How plainly do the mercy and long-suffering of God in Christ appear in this feature of the Gospel dispensa tion! Heal the sick, &c.-Miracles were divine seals to the authority of the Apostles. Spiritual cures and life are the signs that perpetually follow the faithful ministration of the Gospel, even unto the end of the world. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. -See Commentary on ch. iii. 2. Freely ye have received, freely give. -See Acts viii. 18.-Let us all thankfully remember what things have been freely given to us by God; and let the divine mercy and bounty be the pattern of our kindness and liberality to others, in things spiritual and temporal. Nor scrip for your journey, &c.— No needless encumbrances. | The workman is worthy of his meat. -This points out the duty of Christians respecting the maintenance of their ministers; and it implies a pledge on the part of Christ that they who honestly and faithfully labour in the ministration of the Gospel shall not be left destitute of temporal provision.-It may be regarded also as a warning against covetousness.-See 1 Cor. ix. 13, 14. A faithful minister of the Gospel has therefore a divine right to receive his maintenance from the church in which he serves. Enquire who in it is worthy.-Ministers must search out, and encourage, the well-disposed, as well as endeavour to reclaim the evil.-They should choose religious persons for their friends and companions.-Worthy. Not that any can deserve Gospel blessings, in the way of merit; but some, more than others, are disposed and fitted to receive them,some are ready to accept them while others would refuse them. Salute it.-Courtesy well becomes Christians, and especially Christian ministers.-The salutation was Peace be unto this house! Peace from God includes every needful blessing. If it be not worthy.-Even the Apostles, with all their care and inquiry, were liable to mistake or to be misinformed, concerning men's characters. Let not Christian ministers, or others, be too much discouraged when they find that their confidence has been misplaced. Let your peace return to you.-A blessing pronounced upon unworthy persons is of no effect.-Let us be ware of the forfeiture and loss of religious privileges. Whoever shall not receive you.— The Gospel is too often thanklessly rejected, even where it is faithfully preached. Shake off the dust of your feet.-A solemn intimation that the despisers of the Gospel will themselves be cast off with abhorrence. It shall be more tolerable.-It is in deed a fearful thing to sin against the light, the means, and the mer cies which, as Christians, we enjoy. How great the loss, how deep the condemnation, which must follow! From hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment, good Lord, deliver us! HYMN. Glory to God who gave the word, And bade the nations hear; Who caus'd his will to be proclaim'd, And brought salvation near. Oh, may thy word direct our path, § XXXV, CHAP. X. 16-31. 16¶* Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: "be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves, 17 But beware of men: for "they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for 'it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And "ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: 'but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, 'till the Son of man be come. 24 "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If "they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? |