A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Part 1 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
THE next couple of Coincident Miracles are Chriſt's curing two Blind-men, and a Poſſeſſed Dumb-Man, Mat. 9.27, to 35. Concerning the (firſt) take theſe Remarks.
Firſt, As Jeſus departed from Jairus's Houſe, and returned to his own home, ver. 27, 28. The two Blind Men follow him, and come up to him; Theſe two could the better agree to go together, becauſe their caſes were alike, Miſery makes Unity, they that cannot concur in a time of Liberty, may be reconciled in a time of Bondage: We muſt agree both to follow and to overtake Chriſt now.
The Second Remark is, They cry as they follow'd Chriſt [Thou Son of David have mercy on us] intimating, that ſeeing he alſo was a Man, and had the Bowels of a Man, they begg'd his Humane compaſſion towards them: How much more boldly may we beg of Chriſt our near Kinſman, who is not aſhamed to call us Brethren, Heb. 2.11.
The Third Remark is, They did not beg of Chriſt their Eye-ſight in particular, but His Mercy in General, which included all good things both to their Souls and to their Bodies in it. He knew their Minds in their begging of Mercy, few ſuch blind Beggars now, without knowledge they generally are, and more blind in Mind than in Body, yea too many are looſe and lawleſs vagrants, not knowing nor acknowledging Chriſt to be the true Meſſiah, and ſuch as are neither of any Church nor Commonwealth; theſe made Mercy their beſt plea, not merit. &c.
The Fourth Remark is, Chriſt may ſeem to ſleep and ſlight thoſe whom he hath a mind and a purpoſe to relieve, as his Diſciples in the Storm, Mat. 8.23, &c. and thoſe Blind Men who followed him crying out from Jairus's houſe to his own houſe, yet takes he no notice of them all along in the open ſtreet to increaſe their importunity; no ſooner was he come into the houſe, but he then anſwers their Eager and Earneſt cries: Chriſt knows how to comment his Mercy to Mankind, citò data citò vileſcunt, lightly come by lightly ſet by, what is eaſily obtained is moſtly but little eſteemed.
The Fifth Remark is, Foregoing faith found in man makes him more capable of receiving the following favour of God. Chriſt asks them, [Do ye believe I am able to do this? They ſaid, yea Lord.] They believed Chriſt's Incarnation, calling him the Son of David, which was a bleſſed prop to their Faith upon him as their Lord and Saviour, &c.
The Sixth Remark is, The Prayer of Faith hath a mighty prevalency with the Almighty God. Thus Chriſt both graced and gratified the Syrophenician Woman, whom before He had both reproached and repulſed, by granting her requeſt and giving her (as it were) the Key of his Treaſury, bidding her go into it and take what Mercy ſhe liked moſt, Mat. 15.28. There is no doubt (ſaith a Grace Divine) but Juſtifying faith is not beneath that which is Miraculous, in the Sphere of its own activity, and where it hath warrant from God's Word. All things are poſſible to him that believeth, Mark 9.23. Chriſt will do any thing for them.
The Seventh Remark is, Though Chriſt was not tied to Means, yet did he uſe Means, in his Touching their Eyes with his hand, then according to their Faith (which was not vain) it was done unto them, their Eyes were opened by Chriſt's Touch, which he could have Wrought by a Word of his Mouth, to teach us not to Tempt God in neglect of means, &c.
The Eighth Remark is, All things are not to be made known at all Times, nor to all Perſons; our Lord in his ſtate of Humiliation was not Ambitious of Vain-glory. Therefore did he ſtraitly charge them to ſilence, [foreign] he terribly threatned them from telling it abroad, partly to teach both his Miniſters and his Members not to be all for Fame and Name, whereby to dazle the Eyes of others with admiration, not valuing hidden Treaſures. The Heathen Poet ſaith, [Scire Tuum nihil eſt, niſi, te ſcire, hoc ſciat Alter.]
And again, Digito monſtrari & Dicier hic eſt, to be pointed at for a brave man, &c. And partly, becauſe Capernaum was now fallen under a general unbelief and untowardneſs, Mat. 11.23. ſo had rendred it ſelf incapable (tho' not of Chriſt's Preſence, yet) of knowing his Miracles.
The Ninth Remark is, Obedience to a general Command may be the ſin of Diſobedience, as it croſſes and contradicts a particular Command: The general command was, that they ſhould declare the Glory of God, 1 Chron. 16.24. Pſal. 96.3. and Iſa. 66.19. and theſe two Blind Men (receiving now their ſight) could not but look upon their ſilence as the moſt ſublime Ingratitude [Ingratum ſi dixeris, omnia] the worſt and the whole of ſin, ſhould they conceal the greatneſs of his Grace towards them, therefore they divulge it, though againſt his will. Some fooliſhly ſay, Chriſt for bad them to ſtir them up the more; what is this but to ſpeak wickedly for God, &c. Job 13.7. making him (who was Truth it ſelf) to diſſemble? As their divulging it was a doing againſt an expreſs particular command, it was certainly their ſin, though done from a pious intention; for though a bad Aim may make a good Action bad, as in Jehu's caſe, yet a good Aim will not make a bad Action good, as in Ʋzzah's. Concerning the ſecond Miracle here of Healing the poſſeſſed Dumb man, we have theſe few Remarks.
(1.) The end of one good Action ſhould be the beginning of another. No ſooner were thoſe blird men gone out of the houſe from Chriſt, but immediately they brought in a man poſſeſſed with a Dumb Devil, whom alſo Chriſt healed: He was never weary with well-doing; 'tis pity we all are ſo ſoon ſo. N. B. Note well. Chriſt's Miniſters ſhould learn from their Maſter not to expect Reſt, till they come to Heaven the right Reſting-place, Rev. 14.13. No affronts or hard uſages from his Adverſaries did diſhearten him from doing good; though Dogs bark and leap at the Moon, yet continues ſhe her courſe: So did he, and ſo ſhould we, notwithſtanding contradiction of ſinners, Heb. 12.3. in Villages as well as Cities.
The 2d Remark; There be many gagg'd by a Dumb Devil at this day, as this poor man was at that time: Satan ſtill puts his Stilling Gag into the mouths of men and women, that they can neither pour out their prayers to God, nor publiſh his praiſes, nor profeſs his Truth to others. They cannot utter themſelves for others edification… The Spirit of Faith is not an in-dweller in the heart only, but ſits alſo upon the door of the lips, 2 Cor. 4.13. I believed, therefore have I ſpoken, Pſal. 116.10. to wit, in prayer, confeſſion, and communication. The Spirit of Faith obſerves no dumb or ſilent Meetings, as ſome do in our day, and as the Carthuſian Monks did of old, whoſe Orders were only to ſpeak together once a week; but true Chriſtians have otherwiſe learned Chriſt, Eph. 4.20. who teacheth them, 'tis a ſhameful neglect of duty, when they ſpeak not often one to another, Mal. 3.16. that their Meetings together might be for the better and not for the worſe, 1 Cor. 11.17. Exhorting one another, &c. Heb. 10.25.
The 3d Remark is; 'Tis better to be Dumb, than to ſpeak prophanely: This man with his Dumb Devil was in a better caſe, than thoſe Proud Phariſees; whoſe mouths the Devil had not gagg'd, but made an open Sepulchre to belch out ſtinking and black Blaſpheaus against our Lord's Miracles, as if wrought by Magick, Mat. 9.34. and 10.25. and 12.24. The vile perſon will ſpeak villany, Iſa 32.6. as well as vanity, Pſal. 12.2. and not only proudly, Pſal. 17.10. grievous and miſchievous things, Pſal. 31.18, and 38.12. but wickedneſs it ſelf, Job 27.4. becauſe the Devil tips his tongue, but gags not his mouth; whereas even a foul when he holdeth his peace is accounted wiſe, Prov. 17.28. Job 13.5. and in an evil day the prudent keep ſilent, Amos 5.13. not conniving at man's ſin, but acquieſcing in God's Providence.
The 4th Remark is; Such as are poſſeſſed with Dumb Devils must come to Christ to be diſpoſſeſs'd thereof (as this man here.) They muſt ſit down at Chriſt's feet, Mat. 15.30. where all his Saints do ſit, Deut. 33.3. then ſhall the Dumb ſpeak, Mat. 15.31. and they ſhall ſpeak (not the Language of Aſhdod, but) the Language of Canaan, Neh. 13.24. Christ will turn to them a pure Lip and Language, that they ſhall call on the Name of the Lord, Zeph. 3.9. and while the Devil's Dogs (without either Gag or Muzzle) do bark at the Miracle of Mercy with the peſtilent Phariſees, aſcribing the glory thereof to the Prince of Devils, they (with the multitude) marvel, glorifying the God of Iſrael.
The 5th Remark is; Where-ever (Christ the Lord of Light, Life and Love) met Satar (that Prince of Darkneſs) he put him to the foil, and ſerved a Writ of Ejectment upon him, as Luke 11.21, 22. Their first meeting was in Heaven, and thence did he cast him out, as Ezek. 28.16. I have cast thee out of my holy Mountain, &c. and when he found him in the Firmament (as Prince of the Air, Eph. 2.2.) from thence he made him fall like Lightning, Luke 10.18.) Rev. 12.8, 12. And where-ever Christ found him in any Daemoniacks (as there were many, while Christ was below in the days of his fleſh) even there he cast him out (which was a torment to him, Mat. 8.29.) though he found a whole Legion of Devils with him to aſſiſt him, a great Army of them; and here he did ſo out of thin Dumb Man: And ſtill N. B. Note well In our Times Christ meets with the Devil in poſſeſſion of men's hearts (which he accounts his Heaven) but is cast out by the mighty power of the Goſpel, though full ſore againſt his will; but the Devil hath not ſo much Power as Malice, otherwiſe neither the Church, nor the Children of God would have any Reſt; but he is Routed and Outed every where. After this Christ came into his own Countrey Nazareth, Mark 6.1, 2, 3, &c. where he was bred, though not born, and where he had preached aſtoniſhingly, yet in danger of his Life, Luke 4.29. Hither Christ is now come again to try whether they would give him any better Reception, but he found them no changelings; his Entertainment now was much anſwerable to the former, only not ſo full of danger; There he could not, becauſe he would not do any mighty works; for Unbelief had (as it were) weaken'd the hands of Omnipotency it ſelf, &c. and put him to the marvel that they believe no more.