The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 1 · Section 20 – Section 22

The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament · Part 1 · Section 20 – Section 22

p. 18SECTION XX.

A Devill cast out in Capernaum Synagoge. Peters wives Mother and divers more healed.

IF the transition of Mark from the preceding story to this, be observed, it cleereth the order: For having declared there how Christ had called his Disciples; And they, saith he, that is Christ and his new called Disciples went into Capernaum; his own City.

There on the Sabbath day he casteth out a devill in the Synagogue, who by confessing Christ for the Messias, would have terrified the people with the dread of him, that they might not dare to entertain him. From the Synagogue they go to dinner to Peters house, and there he raiseth his wives Mother in law from a Feaver: And after Sun-set when the Sabbath was done, many more are brought to him and are healed. They began their Sabbath from Sun-set, and at the same time of the day they ended it. Talm. Hierosolm. in Sheviith. fol. 33. col. 1. And their manner of observing it, briefly was thus: for the consideration of such a thing may be of some use, in some places of the Gospel as we go along, since there is so frequent mention there about their Sabbath.

The Eve of the Sabbath, or the day before, was called the day of the preparation for the Sabbath, Luk. 23.54. and from the time of the evening sacrifice and forward, they began to fit themselves for the Sabbath, and to cease from their works, so as not to go to the barbor, not to sit in Judgment, &c. nay not to eat thenceforward till the Sabbath came in. Nay thenceforward they would not set things on working, which being set awork would complete their businesse of themselves, unlesse it would be completed before the Sabbath came. As, they would not put Galls and Coperas to steep to make Ink, unlesse they would be steeped while it was yet day, before the evening of the Sabbath was entred. Nor p. 19put wooll to dying, unlesse it would take colour whilest it was yet day: Nor put Flax into the oven, unlesse it would be dried whilest it was yet day, &c. Talm. in Sab. par. 1.

They washed their face, and hands, and feet in warm water, to make them neat against they met the Sabbath; and the ancient wise men used to gather their scholers together and to say, Come let us go meet King Sabbath, Maym. in Sab. par. 36.

Towards Sun-setting, when the Sabbath was now approaching, they lighted up their Sabbath candle. Men and women were bound to have a candle lighted up in their houses on the Sabbath, though they were never so poor, nay though they were forced to go a begging for Oyl for this purpose: and the lighting up of this candle was a part of making the Sabbath a delight: and women were especially commanded to look to this businesse, &c. Ibid.

They accounted it a matter of speciall import and command, to hallow the Sabbath with some words, because it is said, Remember the Sabbath day to hallow it: and accordingly they used a two-fold action to this purpose, namely a solemn form of words in the way of hallowing it at its coming it, and this they called foreign Kiddush, and another solemn form of words in way of parting with it at its going forth, and this they called foreign Habdalah.

The solemnity accompanying the hallowing of it at its coming in was thus. They spred and furnished the table with provision, and had the Sabbath candle burning by; and the master of the house took a cup of wine, and first rehearsed that portion of Scripture in Gen. 2. ver. 1, 2, 3. and then blessed over the wine, and then pronounced the hallowing blessing of the Sabbath, and so drank off the wine, and the rest of the company drank after him, and so they washed their hands and fell to eat. This helps to understand those verses of Persius in Satyr. 5.

—At cum

Haeredis venere dies, unct áque fenestris

Dispositae pinguem nebulam vomuere lucernae

Portantes violas, rubrumque amplexa catinum

Cauda natat thyuni, tumet alba fidelia vino:

Labra moves tacitus recutitaque Sabbata palles.

They used to eat their meals on the Sabbath, and thought they were bound to it in honour of the day, the first of which was this that they ate at the very entrance of it over night. Yea the poor that lived of alms were to eat three meals that day: and those that were of ability were to get choice provision, and alwayes better, at the least not the same that they used on the week dayes.

The morning being come, and up, they went to morning prayer in the Synagogue, and when they had done there, they went home and ate their second meal: and when they had done that, they went to some Beth Midrash, or Divinity Lecture, and there spent the time till the afternoon was well come on; and then went home and ate their third meal, and so continued eating and drinking till the Sabbath went out.

At the going out of the Sabbath, which was about Sun-setting, the master of the family again gave thanks over a cup of wine; then over his candle [for he set up a parting candle too,] and then over some spices which they used for the refreshing or reviving of any person that should faint for sorrow to part with the Sabbath [this is the reason they give themselves;] And then he pronounced the foreign separation blessing, by way of separating between the Sabbath that was now going out, and the working day that was coming in. And so he and the company drank off a cup of wine and fell to their victuals again.

But to return again to our Evangelists. The retrograde course of Lukes method at this place, appeareth more conspicuous then before. For in the beginning of the fifth Chapter he giveth the relation of the Disciples calling, and in the latter end of the fourth, this story of casting out the Devill in Capernaum Synagogue, which was after their calling. Which he hath so placed, the rather [besides what was said upon this matter before] because in the last verse of that fourth Chapter, he speaketh of Christs preaching all about in their Synagogues, and therefore beginneth the fifth Chapter with the story of the calling of the Disciples, that he might shew how Christ went attended with them in that perambulation. And in the same manner Matthew hath laid their call and that voyage close together for the very same intimation. Matth. 4.22, 23. although other occurrences came between which he hath laid a great way off: As the story of p. 20Peters wives mother, which is brought in in this Section. He had said Mat. 4.23. That … went about all the Synagogues of Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sicknesse. He therefore beginneth first with his Doctrine, and layeth down the Sermon in the Mount, and then beginneth to speak of his Miracles at Chap. 8. and first giveth the story of healing a Leper, which was the first Miracle he wrought in that perambulation: and then the healing of the Centurions servant, which was the first Miracle he wrought after the Sermon in the Mount: and there being come into mention of one Miracle done in Capernaum, he also bringeth in another [though not done at the same time, but before] that he might dispatch the works done in that place together. And thus the scope of his method is plain: and here again we see an example of what was said before, namely that the mention of a place doth oftentimes occasion these holy pen-men, to speak of stories out of their proper time, because they would take up the whole story of that place all at once or together.

SECTION XXI. MAT. Chap. IV. Ver. 23, 24, 25. A third perambulation of Galilee.

THe beginning of this Section, and the conclusion of the preceding, being laid together, the order appeareth plain and direct.

CHRIST had perambulated Galilee twice before, since he was baptized, but either altogether without, or else with very little retinue, but now attended with his Disciples and with great multitudes: and his fame is now spread throughout all Syria. Syria was exceeding numerously inhabited by Jews, and in divers things it is set in equall privilegiall pace and equipage with the Land of Canaan. Insomuch that there is a controversie amongst our wise men [saith R. Menahem on Deut. 11.] whether Syria which was subdued by David were of the Land of Israel or no ▪

In three things, say they, Syria was equall with the Land of Israel, and in three things it was equall with heathen countries: The dust defiles, as heathen Countries dust doth, and he that brings a Bill of Divorce out of Syria, is as if he brought it out of a heathen Land; and he that sells his servant into Syria, is as he that sold him into a heathen country: In three things it is equall to the Land of Israel: for he that buyes Land in Syria, is as if he bought it in the suburbs of Jerusalem, and it is liable to Tithes, to the year of release, and if he can go to it in cleannesse, it is clean. Tosaphta in Kelim par. 1.

SECTION XXII.

A Leper healed.

MARK and Luke do assure the order: the reason why Matthew hath placed this story, as he hath done, hath been observed instantly before: which some not having taken notice of, have supposed the story in Matthew, and in the other two Evangelists not to have been the same▪ but conceive they speak of two severall Lepers healed at two severall times: whereas the words of the Leper, and the words and action of Christ in all the three, do assert it plainly for one story; and had the reason of Matthews dislocation of it been observed, it would never have been apprehended otherwise.

Lepers in Israel might not come into the Cities, till the Priests had pronounced them clean, and so restored them again to the Congregation: for the Priests could not heal, but only judge of the malady: and whom they pronounced clean, were not healed wholly of the disease, but were enlarged only from their separation: The leprosie continued still, though they were absolved from their uncleannesse by the Priest [a very pregnant emblem of originall sinne,] but the danger of infection was over, and so they were restored again to humane society. If this Leper had not yet been under the Priests absolution, his faith, or his earnest desire of his recovery, or both, enforceth him to break those bounds that were set him, and he straineth courtesy to come to Christ in a City, Luk. 5.12. If he were absolved by the Priests already from his uncleannesse, yet p. 21seeketh he to Christ to make him clean from his disease, which the Priests could only pronounce him clean from: the Priests could only pronounce him clean to the Congregation; Christ makes him clean to himself.