found him out, imprisoning him in their circuits and undeniable attendances. But Jesus told them plainly, he must preach the gospel to other cities also; and therefore resolved to pass to the other side of the lake of Gennesaret, so to quit the throng. Whither as he was going, a scribe offered himself a disciple to his institution; till Jesus told him his condition to be worse than foxes and birds, for whom an habitation is provided, but none for him, no, not a place where to bow his head and find rest. And what became of this forward professor afterward we find not. Others that were probationers of this fellowship Jesus bound to a speedy profession, not suffering one to go home to bid his friends farewell, nor another so much as to bury his dead.

14. By the time Jesus got to the ship it was late; and he, heavy to sleep, rested on a pillow, and slept soundly as weariness, meekness, and innocence could make him; insomuch that a violent storm, the chiding of the winds and waters, which then happened, could not awake him; till the ship being almost covered with broken billows and the impetuous dashings of the waters, the men already sunk in their spirits, and the ship like enough to sink too, the disciples awaked him, and called for help: 'Master, carest thou not that we perish?' Jesus arising reproved their infidelity, commanded the wind to be still and the seas peaceable, and immediately there was a great calm; and they presently arrived in the land of the Gergesenes or Gera

senes.

15. In the land of Gergesites, or Gergesenes, which was the remaining name of an extinct people, being one of the nations whom the sons of

Jacob drave from their inheritance, there were two cities; Gadara, from the tribe of Gad, to whom it fell by lot in the division of the land; (which, having been destroyed by the Jews, was rebuilt by Pompey at the request of Demetrius Gadarensis, Pompey's freed man;) and near to it was Gerasa, as Josephus reports. Which diversity of towns and names is the cause of the various recitation of this story by the evangelists. Near the city of Gadara there were many sepulchres in the hollownesses of rocks, where the dead were buried, and where many superstitious persons used Memphitic and Thessalic rites, invocating evil spirits; insomuch that at the instant of our Saviour's arrival in the country, there met him two possessed with devils from these tombs, exceeding fierce, and so had been long, insomuch that no man durst pass that way.

16. Jesus commanded the devils out of the possessed person. But there were certain men feeding swine, which, though extremely abominated by the Jewish religion, yet for the use of the Roman armies and quarterings of soldiers they were permitted, and divers privileges granted to the masters of such herds; and because Gadara was a Greek city, and the company mingled of Greeks, Syrians, and Jews; these last in all likelihood not making the greatest number. The devils therefore besought Jesus, he would not send them into the abyss, but 'permit them to enter into the swine.' He gave them leave: 'and the swine ran violently down a steep place' into the hot baths,

Joseph. de Bel. Jud. lib. i. c. 5, and lib. iii. c. 2, and lib. v. c. 3; Epiph. contra Eb. Hæres. 30.

Cod. Theod. de Suariis. Joseph. lib. ii. de Bel. Jud. c. 33.

which were at the foot of the hill on which Gadara was built, which smaller congregation of waters the Jews used to call 'sea,' or else, as others think, into the lake of Gennesaret, and perished in the waters. But this accident so troubled the inhabitants, that they came and entreated Jesus to depart out of their coasts: and he did so. Leaving Galilee of the Gentiles, he came to the Lesser Galilee, and so again to the city of Capernaum.

17. But when he was come thither, he was met by divers Scribes and Pharisees, who came from Jerusalem, and doctors of the law from Galilee : and while they were sitting in a house, which was compassed with multitudes, that no business or necessity could be admitted to the door, a poor paralytic was brought to be cured, and they were fain to uncover the tiles of the house, and let him down in his bed with cords in the midst, before Jesus sitting in conference with the doctors. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Man, thy sins be forgiven thee.' At which saying the Pharisees being troubled, thinking it to be blasphemy, and that none but God could forgive sins, Jesus was put to verify his absolution; which he did in a just satisfaction and proportion to their understandings for the Jews did believe that all afflictions were punishments for sin; ('Who sinned, this man or his father, that he was born blind?') and that removing of the punishment was forgiving of the sin and therefore Jesus, to prove that his sins were forgiven, removed that which they supposed to be the effect of his sin, and by curing the palsy prevented their further murmur about the pardon that ye might know the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to

the sick of the palsy,) arise, take up thy bed and walk and the man arose, was healed, and glorified God.'

18. Awhile after, Jesus went again towards the sea; and on his way, seeing Matthew the publican sitting at the receipt of custom, he bade him follow him. Matthew first feasted Jesus, and then became his disciple. But the Pharisees that were with him began to be troubled that he ate with publicans and sinners: for the office of publican, though among the Romans it was honest and of great account, and "the flower of the Roman knights, the ornament of the city, the security of the commonwealth, was accounted to consist in the society of publicans;" yet amongst both the Jews and Greeks the name was odious, and the persons were accursed; not only because they were strangers that were the chief of them, who took in to them some of the nation where they were employed; but because the Jews especially stood upon the charter of their nation, and the privilege of their religion, that none of them should pay tribute; and also because they exercised great injustices and oppressions, having a power un

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'Cicero Ep. Famil. lib. xiii. et in Orat. pro Plancio.

2 Idem ad Quint. Fratrem de regimine præfecturæ Asian. 3 Vita publicanorum aperta est violentia, impunita rapina, negotiatio nulla ratione constans, inverecunda mercatura. Suidas. V. Publicanus, πάντες τελῶναι πάντες εἰσὶν ἅρπαγες.— "The life of the publican is open violence; unpunished rapine; business without rules; traffic without shame. The publicans are, without exception, plunderers."

Apud Hebræum textum D. Matthæi, Publicani dicti Parisim, nomine proprio latronibus qui sepes et maceriam dirimunt, licèt propriè dicti Gabaim; unde fortasse Gabella." In the Hebrew text of D. Matthæus, publicans are called Parisim, the proper name of robbers, who tear down fences; although properly called Gabaim, from which, perhaps, Gabella."

limited, and a covetousness wide as hell, and greedy as the fire or the grave. But Jesus

gave so fair an account concerning his converse with these persons, that the objection turned to be his apology; for therefore he conversed with them, because they were sinners and it was as if a physician should be reproved for having so much to do with sick persons for therefore was he sent, not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, to advance the reputation of mercy above the rites of sacrifice.

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19. But as the little bubbling, and gentle murmurs of the water, are presages of a storm, and are more troublesome in their prediction than their violence; so were the arguings of the Pharisees symptoms of a secret displeasure, and an ensuing war: though at first represented in the civilities of questions and scholastical discourses, yet they did but forerun vigorous objections and bold calumnies, which were the fruits of the next summer. But as yet they discoursed fairly, asking him why John's disciples fasted often, but the disciples of Jesus did not fast.' Jesus told them, it was because these were the days in which the bridegroom was come in person to espouse the church into himself; and therefore for the children of the bride-chamber to fast' then, was like the bringing of a dead corpse to the joys of a bride, or the pomp of coronation: the days should come that the bridegroom should retire' into his chamber, and draw the curtains; and then they should fast in those days.'

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20. While Jesus was discoursing with the Pharisees, 'Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came to him,' desiring he would help his daughter, who lay in the confines of death, ready to depart. Whither as he was going, a woman met him who had