A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Mark · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
1. IN thoſe days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jeſus called his diſciples to him, and ſaith to them, 2. I have compaſſion on the multitude, becauſe they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. 3. And if I ſend them away faſting, to their own houſes, they will faint by the way, for divers of them came from far.
2. Chriſts compaſſion is our great conſolation and ground of truſt.
4. And his diſciples anſwered him, From whence can a man ſatisfie theſe men with bread herein the wilderneſs? 5. And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? and they ſaid, ſeven. 6. And he commanded the people to ſit down on the ground, and he took the ſeven loaves and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his diſciples to ſet before them; and they did ſet them before the people. 7. And they had a few ſmall fiſhes, and he bleſſed, and commanded to ſet them alſo before them. 8. So they did eat, and were filled; and they took up of the broken meat that was left, ſeven baskets. 9. And they that had eaten were about four thouſand, and he ſent them away.
N. Its like their loaves then were but like our cakes, by the cuſtom of breaking them.
10. And ſtraightway he entred into a ſhip with his diſciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 11. And the Phariſees came forth and began to queſtion with him, ſeeking of him a ſign from heaven, tempting him.
10, 11. They would trie whether he were the Son of God, by a ſign from heaven of their own chooſing.
12. And he ſighed deeply in his ſpirit, and ſaith, Why doth this generation ſeek after a ſign? verily I ſay to you, there ſhall no ſign be given this generation.
12. He deeply groaned in grief for their obdurateneſs, and ſaid, Have not this kind of men had ſigns enough to convince them? Muſt they further chuſe what Miracles they ſhall have? Verily no ſuch deſire of theſe perverſe men, ſhall be ſatisfied (the miracle of my reſurrection they ſhall have.
13. And he left them, and entring into the ſhip again, departed unto the other ſide. 14. Now the Diſciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ſhip with them more than one loaf. 15. And he charged them ſaying, Take heed, beware of the leven of the Phariſees, and of the leven of Herod.
15. The dangerous enemies of the Goſpel are the Ceremonious Phariſees, and the King Herod a jealous Roman Governour. Take ſpecial heed that the Phariſees ſeduce you not by their deceits, nor the King and his Officers affright you not from the Faith by his cruelty.
16. And they reaſoned among themſelves ſaying, It is becauſe we have no bread. 17. And when Jeſus knew it, he ſaith to them, Why reaſon ye becauſe ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither underſtand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18. Having eyes ſee ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19. When I brake the five loaves among five thouſand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? and they ſaid, Twelve. 20. And when the ſeven among four thouſand, how many baskets of fraqments took ye up? and they ſaid, Seven. 21. And he ſaid to them, How is it that ye do not underſtand.
18. N. It is a great ſin to have a power of underſtanding and conſidering, and not to uſe it. 2. And a great ſin quickly to forget Miracles, or marvellous providences, and to fall into new diſtruſtful reaſonings in our next wants.
22. And he cometh to Bethſaida, and they bring a blind man unto him and beſought him to touch him: 23. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town, and when he had ſpit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he ſaw ought? 24. And he looked up and ſaid, I ſee men as trees, walking▪
24. &c. I diſcern not Men from Trees by their ſhape, but ſuppoſe them men, becauſe they walk.
25. After that he put his hands again on his eyes, and made him look up; and he was reſtored, and ſaw every man clearly. 26. And he ſent him away to his houſe, ſaying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any man in the town.
25, 26. To avoid oſtentation and envy.
27. And Jeſus went out, and his diſciples into the towns of Ceſarea Philippi, and by the way, he asked his diſciples, ſaying to them, Whom do men ſay that I am?
27. Not but that he knew: but his queſtion was to occaſion their confeſſion.
28. And they anſwered, John the Baptiſt: but ſome ſay Elias, and others, One of the Prophets. 29. And he ſaid to them, But whom ſay ye that I am? and Peter anſwered and ſaith to him, Thou art the Chriſt. 30. And he charged them that they ſhould tell no man of him.
29. Men were to diſcern who he was by his works: and he would not have it commonly proclaimed, till his Reſurection and Spirit had compleated thoſe works and evidences by which it was to be proved.
31. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man muſt ſuffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief prieſts and ſcribes, and be killed, and after three days riſe again. 32. And he ſpake that ſaying openly: and Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33. But when he had turned about, and looked on his diſciples, he rebuked Peter, ſaying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou ſavoureſt not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
N. 1. Chriſt made them know that he deſigned not a Worldly Kingdom, when he tells them of his de…t… and reſurrection. 2. Peter in his fleſhly wiſdom thought Chriſt was not ſo wiſe as he. No wonder if Novices now think themſelves wiſer than their wiſeſt teachers: and ſpecially if ſuch are cenſured as imprudent for not avoiding ſuffering. 3. Even a Peter by ſuch carnal wiſdom may ſo far ſerve Satan as to deſerve ſo ſharp a rebuke as to be called a Satan. 4. Savouring the things of men and fleſh more than of God, is the great ſin that we are all in danger of, and deſerveth ſharp rebuke.
34. And when he had called the people unto him, with his diſciples alſo, he ſaid to them, Whoſoever will come after me, let him deny himſelf, and take up his croſs and follow me. 35. For whoſoever will ſave his life ſhall loſe it; but whoſoever ſhall loſe his life for my ſake and the goſpels, the ſame ſhall ſave it.
34. This caſe of Peter occaſioned Chriſt to call off all his Diſciples from worldly expectations, and to tell them what they muſt truſt to; and that they are no Diſciples for him if they cannot truſt him with their lives; and if they believe not that they ſhall gain more by him than their lives are worth: N. To deny a mans ſelf is to forſake his life rather than forſake Chriſt. As to deny Chriſt was to forſake him to ſave life or any thing elſe. He that will ſave his life by denying Chriſt, ſhall loſe it and his ſalvation: And he that denieth his life for Chriſt and the hope of Salvation ſhall ſave it for ever.
36. For what ſhall it profit a man if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? 37. Or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul?
36. How poor a price is all the profit and pleaſure of this life, to hire a man by ſin to loſe his ſalvation, or what can make up that mans loſs? N. And will pride, revenge, gluttony, drunkenneſs, or fornication, then make him a ſaver that loſeth his ſoul by them? or will preferment, Lordſhip, and pomp, and power recompence him.
38. Whoſoever therefore ſhall be aſhamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and ſinful generation, of him alſo ſhall the Son of man be aſhamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father and the holy angels.
38. If men be ſo far aſhamed of a crucified, a ſcorned, a perſecuted Chriſt, as to deny him to eſcape ſhame or ſuffering, a glorified Chriſt in Judgment before Angels and Men will diſown them, and ſay, I know you not. It is not a Popedom, or a Cardinalſhip, nor a Lordſhip that nominal Chriſtians are aſhamed of, but it is poor perſecuted Chriſtianity.