Mark 8

IN those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and says unto them.

I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat.

And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way, for divers of them came from far.

And his disciples an wered him, From whence can a man satisfie these men here with bread in the wilderness.

And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

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 and they did set them before the People.

And they had a few smal fishes, and he blessed, and commanded them to set them also before them.

So they did eat, and were filled, and they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets.

And they that had eaten were about four thousand, and he sent them away. All these verses gives us an account of another Miracle wrought by our Saviour, of the same Nature with the other which we had, Chap. 6. only there five thousand (besides Women and Children) were fed, with ive loaves and two Fishes, here, four thousand are fed, with seven L aves, and a few Fishes, there twelve Baskets full of fragments were taken up, here but Seven. We meet with the same History Matth. 15.32. see the Notes on that place. Both M racles testified Chr st to have acted by a Divine Power, and were certainly wrought to prove, that the Doctrine which he delivered to them was from God; both of them show the compassion that he had for the Sons of Men, showed to them not only with relation to their Spiritual, but also to their Corporal wants, and Infirmities. In both of them is commended to us, from his great example, the religious custom, of begging a blessing upon our food, when we sit down to it, and receiving the good creatures of God, with Thanksgiving. From both of them we may learn, In the doing of our duty, not to be two sollicitous, what we shall eat, or what we shall drink. God will some way or other provide for those, who neglect themselves to follow him. From both we may also learn our duty to take a provident care, to make no wast of the oo things, which God lends us. These are the chief things this His ory a ordeth us for our Instruction.

And straightway he entred into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, t mpting him.

And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and says, Why does this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given to this generation.

And he left them, and entring into the ship again, departed to the other side. Matthew says, he came into the Coasts of Magdala, it is probable they were two contiguous tracts of Land, we often read of the Pharisees coming to our Saviour to ask a Sign, had they not Signs? What were all the Miracles he wrought but Signs of his Divine Power, and Mission? but they ask for a Sign from Heaven, such a Sign as M ses, Ioshuah, and Elijah gave them, by this means making a trial of his Divine Power. Our Saviour who never wrought Miracles to satisfie Mens curiosity, but only to confirm their Faith, refuseth to show them any such Sign as they desired, and leaves these Coasts.

Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more then one loaf.

And he charged them, saying, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

And when Jesus knew it, he says unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread, Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your hearts yet hardened.

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not, and do ye not remember?

When I brake the five loaves, amongst five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

And when the seven amongst four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

And he said unto them, How is it that you do not understand? We met with this whole History, with some Additions in Matth. 16.5.6.7. &c. See the Notes there. It teacheth us both a Less n of Humane fra l y, and what is our Christian duty of our frailty, in not considering the works of the Lord for us, so as to make any use of them, for the time to come, God does his great works of Providence, to be had in Remembrance, and that not only, with respect to himself, that he might be glorified by us, upon the remembrance of them, and this not only by our rejoycing in him, but also by our trusting in him, and not desponding under such like Difficulties, as God by any of them has delivered us from, and also with respect to our duty, that we might in present exigencies, relieve our selves from former experiences, and if we do not thus conceive of Gods dispensations, we do not perceive nor understand, the meaning and will of God in them; tho we have Eyes, we see not tho we have ears, we hear not, and in remembring, we remember not, our remembrance is of no benefit, no advant ge at all unto us. Our Saviour indeed, did not at all speak here of bodily Bread, tho he did bid them beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, and Herod, he spake to them about the Doctrine of the Pharisees, and so Matthew tells us, they (after this reproof) considered, tho he (after his accustomed manner,) spake to them under a Parabolical expression. Says he, what though you have forgotten to bring Bread, do not you know, have not I by two Mir c lous operations, taught you that I am able to furnish you with Bread, tho you have none, or such a quantity as is very insufficient? God expecteth of us, that we should so keep in mind his former dispensations of Providence to us, under straights and Difficulties, as to trust in him, when his Providence brings us again into the like difficulties, yet not declining the use of any reasonable and just means, for providing for our selves. Thus David knew, and understood, that God had delivered him from the Lyon and the Bear, while going against Goliah, 1 Sam. 17. he made it a ground of his confidence, 1 Sam 17. so also Psal. 116.8. and Paul when he concluded God would deliver, because he had delivered. God Psal. 74.14. when he brake the Heads of Leviathan in pieces, gave him to be meat to the People inhabiting the Wilderness, he intends former mercies to be food for his People, in following Straights and Exigencies.

And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring a blind man to him, and besought him to touch him.

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 hand on him, he asked him if he saw ought.

And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up, and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any man in the town. This Miracle is only mentioned by Mark particularly, possibly because of two singularities in it. 1. With reference to the signs he used. 2. With reference to the gradual care. Our Saviours sometimes used some signs in his Miraculous operations, sometimes he used none, but by the Word of his Power alone healed them; in the signs he used, to let the People understand there was nothing in them, he often varied, sometimes he laid his hands upon them, sometimes he took them by the hand, sometimes he used one Sign, sometimes another. Here. 1. He takes the blind Man by the Hand. 2. He leads him out of the Town, the Inhabitants being not worthy to see a Miracle, it was one of the Cities upbraided by our Saviour for their Impenitency and Unbelief, Matth. 11.2. 3. He spit on his Eyes. So Chap. 7.33. 4. Then he twice put his hands on him. 2. Christ was wont to heal at once, here he healeth by degrees, so as the healing of this Blind Man, was a true pattern of his healing spiritual Blindness, which usually, is done gradually, but perfected at last as this bodily cure was.

And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cesarea Philipi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am.

And they answered, John the Baptist, but some say, Elias, and others, One o the Prophets. Herod, and those that followed him, judged Christ to be Iohn the Baptist raised from the Dead, or to have the Soul of Iohn the Baptist, clothed with other flesh. Others conceived him to be Elias, of whom they were in expectation, that he should come before the Messias. Others thought he was Ieremias as Matthew says, or one of the old Prophets, they could not tell what to determine of one who appeared to them in the shape of a Man, but did such things as none could do, but the Divine Power either immediately, or mediately, putting forth it self in an humane body.

And he says unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth, and says unto him, Thou art the Christ.

And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. Luke reports no more of this then Mark, but Matthew reports it much larger giving us a further reply of Christ to Peter. (See the Notes on Matth. 16.15.) which we have there discoursed largely upon. I shall only say here, That if so great a point as Peters Primacy, had been understood by Christs Disciples of that age, to have been settled by that answer of our Saviour, it is likely two of the Evangelists would not have omitted an account of it. If they had forgotten it, there is no doubt but some or other of Christs Disciples, would have put them in mind of it. Our Saviours charge that they should tell no Man of him, seemeth to him, that altho our Saviour was willing to be taken notice of as a Prophet, yet he was not willing as yet to be taken notice of as the Messiah, or Son of God, which latter Matthew reports as added to his Confession; and perhaps both Mark and Luke in their following Words, give us the Reason, for if we observe it, he immediately falls into a discourse of his suffering, and he might possibly think, that a weak Faith of his Divine Nature would be overthrown by the sight of his subsequent sufferings. So that he reserved the publication of himself to be the Son of God, until such time when (as the Apo tle says, Rom. 1.4.) he was declared so with Power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by his Resurrection from the Dead.

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. Our Lord is elsewhere said to have taught his Dsciples, according as they were able to bear, or to hear, what he spake unto them. He did not at the first teach them that he must suffer Death, the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ, was like new Wine not fit to be put into old Bottles; yet necessary to be taught them, lest w en they saw it soon after they should have been offended, as indeed they were to some degree, notwithstanding the Praemonition they had of it. With the Doctrine of his suffering, he joyneth also the Doctrine of his Resurrection the third day. So says Matthew, Mark says after three days, which seemeth to be a difference between the two Evangelists, and also a Difficulty, when it is certain that our Saviour did not lie three entire days in the Grave. But either Mark reckons the time from his first being betrayed and apprehended, so it was after three days, and Matthew speaketh only of the time which he lay in the Grave, that was but part of three days, or else it was the fault of our translators to translate after, because indeed it often so signifies, when as it sometimes signifies in, which had better fitted this Text, to make it agree with Matthew. This is Grotius and B za's observation, (see his Notes the Text,) and is abundantly justified by M tth. 27.64. where his Adversaries desired of Pilate, that the Sepulchre might be made fast, until the third day, because he had said while he was alive after three days I will arise, which if they had understood of, after the third Day fully spent, they would not have petitioned, that the Sepulchre should have been made fast only until the third day, but it is plain they understood it the third day, he would rise. So after three days, here is, After the third day is come, not after the third Day is past, which neither agrees with Matthew, nor yet with the Truth. If any desire further to make out this Notion, h may read the Learned Beza his larger Notes on this verse.

And he spake that saying openly, And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

But when he had turned about, and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou favourest not the things that be of God, but the things which be of men. It is from hence manifest, that notwithstanding the Confession of Peter, that he was the Christ, yet they had a very imperfect knowledge of the business of the Redemption of Man by the Blood of Christ, and a very imperfect Faith, as to the Hypostatical Union of the Divine, and Humane Nature in the one Person of the Redeemer, for had Peter known these things, he would have seen a necessity of Christs Dying and Resurrection from the Dead, in order to the Redemption, and Salvation of Man, and would neither have disswaded our Saviour from it, nor doubted of the Truth of what was spoken by him, who was the Truth and could not Lye. Our Saviours telling him thou savourest not, might have been more favourably translated, Thou understandest not, or thou mindest not, and must not be understood of a total ignorance, or regardlesness, or not relishing, but of a partial knowledge, the want of a due regard to, or savour of the things of God. Thou preferrest thy carnal affection to me, and indulgest thine own desires to the hinderance of the honour and Glory of God, and the Salvation of Souls, which I came to purchase by these my sufferings, and so art a Satan an Adversary to me, who came to fulfill the Will of my Father, and must not therefore give the least ear to thee, who, in what thou sayest, dost but seek, and take care to please thy self This leadeth him to the following discourse.

¶ And when he had called the people unto him, with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. Our Saviour hearing Peter so stumble at the news, he told him, and the rest, of the cross which himself was to endure, and taking notice of his exceeding sondness to gratify himself, to the prejudice of a far greater good, he now tells them the Law of his Discipleship, that as he was not to please himself nor to decline afflictions for the Gospel, so neither must any who would be his followers, ey must all deny themselves, take up the Cross, and follow him. And because this was an hard saying to Flesh and Blood, and what was to be their certain lot, he presseth it upon them by several Arguments to the end of this Chapter. See more in the Notes on Matth. 10.38 & 16.24.

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. We met with this Argument twice in Matthew, to the Notes upon which I refer the Reader, Mark adds those words, and for he Gospel, thereby teaching us that a suffering for the sake of the Gospel, which therefore owning the Propositions of it, or living up to the Precepts, is by Christ accounted a suffering or Christs sake. here must signifie Life, (as it is translated) for a Man cannot lose his Soul for Christs sake and the Gospels. The meaning is, He that will deny, and abandon me, and my Gospel, out of a desire to save his temporary Life, shall lose it, or at least shall lose his Souls portion in a better Life. But he that is willing to lose his Life, or will run the hazard of it, for my sake, for his owning, and professing me, and the Faith of my Gospel, or living up to the rules, shall either save it in Specie, by the special workings of my providence for him, delivering him out of his Persecutors hands, or shall be recompensed with an eternal Life, of much more value.

But what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Luke says, if he loose himself and be cast away. Tho was rightly translated Life, in the former verse, the sense ju ti ying that translation of it there yet here it is as truly translated Soul, for there are many things, which Men value in Proportion with their Lives, their Honour, Estates, nay many value their Lusts above their Lives, and Christ himself here teacheth us that his Disciples ought to value his Honour and Glory, and their steady profe sion of Faith and Holiness above their Life, because he that will lose his Life shall save it. See the Notes on these words, Matth. 16.26.

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, with the holy angels. These words occur ing twice in M tthew, 10.33. Ch. 16.27. have been before spoken to, see the Notes on those Texts. Luke repeats them most perfectly, as here they are recorded. M rk expounds Luke's Words, where he says that Christ shall come in his own Glory, and of the Father, and of the Angels. By the Glory of the Holy Angels, is meant no more then attended by the Holy Angels, according to Matth. 13.41. and 1 Thessal. 4. and other Scriptures. Matthew says Ch. 16.27. For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father, with the Angels, and then he shall reward every Man according to his Works, C 10.33. whosoever shall deny me before Men, him will I deny also before my Father which is in Heaven. There are two Passions which prevail upon Men, to make them Apostatize in a day of Temptation, Fear and Shame, the first prevailed upon Peter, in the High Priests Hall. The second we find no instance of any good Man guilty of in Holy Writ, and it most certainly argues a rotten, and a corrupt heart. When Men think it beneath their Honour, and quality to own the despised, and maligned truths and ways of God, this is not only a denial of Christ, but the most inexcuseable denial of him. Nor can any such persons look for any thing less at the hands of Christ, then that he should think it much more beneath his Honour and Dignity in the day of Judgement to own them.