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1. At his

Defcent from the

Mount (called Chrift's Mount) whither he retired with his Apoftles, and where he had juft preached his Divine Sermon, as he was going to a neighbouring City, (Capernaum probably) a Leper met him in the Field adjoining to the City, (where we are told there was an Infirmary for Perfons thus diseased) it not being lawful for them to be within the Cities.

2. And behold there came a Leper and worshipped bim, faying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

befought Jefus

3. And Jefus put forth his band and touched bim, faying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately bis Leprofy was cleanfed.

Luke vi.

Mark iii.
Luke v. 12.

Luke vii.1.

Adricom.

Tr. Neph.

62, 69

2. This Man, in most humble and reverent manner, kneeling, and falling down on his face, to cleanfe him.

3. Which accordingly he did, and condefcended to touch him, (being, as a Prophet,

above the Ceremonial Ordinances) and no fooner had he faid the word, but the Leprofy was quite gone.

4. And Jefus faith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, few thy felf to the Prieft, and offer the gift that Mofes commanded for a Teftimony unto

them.

4. This Cure Jefus charged him not to divulge, at least till he

had fulfil

led what Levit. xiv.

the Law ordered in common Cures of that nature. Which, (viz. undergoing the Priest's Enquiry, and offering the Sacrifice) would teftify the Perfection of the Cure, the Power of Jefus to heal, and the Deference he paid to the Law yet

in force.

5. And when Jefus was entred into Capernaum, there came unto him a Centurion, befeeching him,

6. And faying, Lord, my Servant lietb at home, fick of the Pally, grievously tormented.

Mark i.44.

Luke v. 14.

5, 6. As Jefus was come into Capernaum, a Centurion, (who by an ufual Figure of Speech is faid to do that himCompare Matth. ii. 3. Mediation of Friends, much, now fick of

felf which others do in his behalf and by his order. Luke vii. 20. Matth. xx. 20. Mark x. 35.) did, by the intreat Jefus to heal a Servant, whom he valued very a Palfy.

7. And Jefus faith unto him, I will come and heal

bim.

7. Jefus Luke vii. 4, having 5, 6. heard a

good Character of the Man, (whofe Piety and Charity were eminent) readily condefcended to this Request and was now actually moving toward the Centurion's houfe.

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8, 9. Hereupon a fe

cond Meffage was fent, declaring,

Luke vii.

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6, 7.

8. The Centurion anfwered and faid, Lord, I am not worthy that thou fhouldeft come under my roof; but Speak the word only, and my Servant shall be bealed.

that he thought himself in no degree worthy the honour of feeing Jefus in his Houfe, nor indeed of approaching his Perfon with this Request, upon which account he had interpofed the good Offices of his Friends; Nor did he conceive his Prefence to be needful; for if His Orders, who was but a fubaltern Officer, are punctually obferved even in his abfence: much more (he was abundantly fatisfied) would any Command be effectual in this matter, which Jefus thould pleafe to iffue out, to whom he believed none fuperior in Power, and that all Nature was abfolutely at his Difpofal.

9. For I am a man under Authority, baving Soldiers under me, and fay to this man Go, and he goeth; and to another Come, and be cometh; and to my Servant Do this, and he doeth it.

10. This was an inftance fo very furprifing in a Stranger, that Jefus commended it, as far fuperior to any he yet had met with, in the native Jews. Not only fo, but from hence

he took occafion alfo to foretel, how many of

10. When Jefus beard it, be marvelled, and said, Verily I fay unto you, I have not found fo great faith, no not in Ifrael.

11. And I fay unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall fit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

12. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness, there fhall be weeping and gnashing of

teeth.

the Gentiles would hereafter follow this noble Example: For great numbers of Them, by their Obedience to the Gospel, would attain to and inherit the fpiritual Bleilings and Promifes, made to the holy Patriarchs. But their own natural Iflue, the Jews, who were at prefent the only visible Church of God, should be moft miferable through their own Perverseness.

13. After which Jefas declared, that the Effect of this man's Faith fhould be as confpicuous, as the Virtue

13.

way,

thee.
bour.

And Jefus faid unto the Centurion, Go thy and as thou haft believed fo be it done unto And bis Servant was bealed in the felf-fame

of it. Which Saying took place fo fpeedily, that the Perfons fent from the Centurion, did, at their Return back to his House, find the Servant perfectly well, whom but just before they had left in fo defperate a Condition.

COMMENT.

TH

our.

COMMENT.

HE Gospel for this Day prefents to our Obfervation two Cures, wrought by our Bleffed SaviBoth Speedy, both Miraculous, both upon - Distempers paft the common Help of Medicine, both vouchfafed to Perfons recommended to his Favour, by very extraordinary qualifications, of a ftedfaft Faith in, and profound Reverence for him. The Subjects are too copious to be treated of diftinctly, and therefore I fhall fatisfy my felf, with infifting on the Former. In which, we fhall do well to confider,

I. The Nature of the Disease.

II. The Manner of the Patient's Addrefs for a Cure.

III. The Succefs he found from this Addrefs.

But, in regard great part of bodily Infirmities carry fome Analogy to the Miseries of our Souls, and our Bleffed Saviour's Cures of the One are excellently contrived, for the Benefit and Improvement of the Other; I defign, in the Contemplation of the Mercy before us, to look on the Leper in my Text, as an Emblem of our felves. I will therefore fhew, as I go along, What our Difeafe is, How we fhould imitate Him in feeking, and By what means we do obtain, a Recovery of Our spiritual Leprofy.

1. First then. Concerning the Disease it self, these following Circumftances are remarkable. That a Leprofy is faid, to proceed, from a general Corruption of the Blood and Juices, to render the Perfon tainted with it extremely loathfome and deformed, to be (in thofe Countries efpecially) of all Diftempers the most fpreading in the Body, and moft Contagious to others. These are Qualities infeparable from the nature of the Difeafe. But, if look'd upon with regard to the No

G 2

tions

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tions of the Jews, and their Law about it, thus it was, of all others, the moft fcandalous, and the most deteftable. It feparated the Sick from all Civil, as well as Religious, Communion; It diftinguished him by all the outward Significations of Sorrow and Shame; It was generally look'd on, as a Plague inflict

Numb. xii.
2 Kings v.

2 Chron. xxvi.
*Ader de Morb.
Evang. cap. I.
Critic. Sacr.
T. 9.
Matth. xi. 5.
P. Menach. on
Levit. xiii.

ed by God, for fome enormous Crime, (of which Scripture furnishes several Examples.) It was thought fo far above the power of Art, that the very attempt to cure it by Medicine, was efteemed an impious Prefumption. It was dreaded as the higheft of all Legal Pollutions, and

required great variety of Luftrations, before the Patient could be reftored to the Privileges of a Jew. There must be Washings of his Body and Cloaths, Sprinklings of Blood, Burnt, and Meat, and Sin-Offerings. Accordingly, the Deliverance from it is generally exprefs'd, in Terms, that import not fo properly Recovery, as Purification. Thus the Leper here

Ver. 2.

Ver. 3.

fays not, Lord, thou canst make me Whole, but thou canft make me Clean: and upon granting his Petition, it is not faid his Le

profy was healed, but that it was Cleanfed. Of this Cleannefs the Priefts were to make Declaration. In order hereunto, feveral Marks were appointed for the Direction of their Judgment: One of which is fo very remarkable, that I fhall confider it particularly by and by. Mean while let it fuffice to fay, that a large account of this whole matter is contained, in the Ordinances concerning it, at the Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Chapters of Leviticus.

Now, what Leprofy was then to the Body, the fame, in proportion, and at all times, is heinous and wilful Sin to the Soul. It refults from depraved Humours, a tainted Will, and inflamed Paffions: It is noisome and odious in the fight of God and Man:

exprefs'd

Ifa. i. 5.

exprefs'd for this reafon by Wounds, and Bruifes, and putrefying Sores. It is rife and catching, fwelling from lefs to greater, and, by a fatal fruitfulness, multiplying from One to Many; wafting the Confcience, eating away the found Part, and fhedding its Venom, upon as many as come within the reach of its Infection. Infomuch, that the fubtileft Poyfon, the moft peftilential Vapour, does not infinuate it felf more fpeedily, more mortally, than This. Hence every man is warned to keep his diftance, and not tempt a danger by too free and familiar approaches: not only to refufe his Confent, when finners entice him; but not to stand in their way, not to fit in the feat of the Scornful, not to keep Company with vain perfons, nor have any fellowship with the deceitful. To confider, as the Apoftle fays, That every Word of Theirs eats like a Canker, loofens our Principles, diffipates our good Intentions, enters and embol- Eccluf. xiii. 1. dens us in Vice; That Pitch may as well be touched without defiling, and Fire ta

Prov. i. 10.
Pfal. i. I.

xxvi. 4.

2 Tim. ii. 17.

Prov. vi. 27.

So appliprofligate

ken into a Garment without burning, as Men of evil Example be frequented and delighted in, without contracting Soil and Damage from them. cable is that of Solomon to every one of Converfation, Their houfe is the way to hell, and leads down to the Chambers of Death. Let not then your Heart decline to their ways,

Prov. vii. 25, 26, 27.

and go not aftray in their paths. For many strong men have been flain by this means, and whofo cometh near them fhall not be innocent.

So near is the Refemblance between the Leprofy of the Outward, and that of the Inner-Man, with regard to its Nature and its Confequences. Each a noifome, a mortal, and a contagious Disease, Some Likeness there is too between the Chriftian, and the

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