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Both a St. Mark and b St. Luke give Whyfuch us an ample Account of what happen'd a Croud at Capernaum, and how the Inhabitants Door. of that Place were affected, the time that our Saviour was there before. They tell us, that, when he taught them in the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day, all the People were aftonished at his Doctrine, for he taught as one that had Authority, and his Word was with Power. They tell us, that, when in their Sight he caft out an unclean Spirit, crying out for fear, and declaring him to be the Holy One of God, they were all amazed, and fpake among themselves, faying, What a Word is this? What new Doctrine is this? for with Power and Authority he commandeth the unclean Spirits, and they obey him. They tell us, that, while he was in Simon's Houfe, all the City was gathered together at the Door, and, that, upon their feeing him do fo many wonderful Works, heal the Sick of divers Diseases, and caft out many Devils, his Fame immediately spread abroad through all the Regions round about Galilee: and therefore it might well be expected, that, when he returned to the fame City again, not only the Inhabitants of the Place, but the People of every adjacent

• Chap. i. 21, &c.

Y 3

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Country

Chap. iv, 31, 6.

Country fhould run together in great Numbers, even tho' they had seen him never fo often, and had little or no Eftimation for him.

• Take any Man of Note, of whatfoever Country, and it will appear, that, upon any famous Exploit, upon any remarkable Succefs, or laudable Action, People, who had seen him times out of number, and knew his Perfon as well perhaps as their own, wou'd, notwithstanding their Prejudices and Prepoffeffions, their Enmity and Averfion, prefs about him with the utmoft Earnestnefs. When Julius Cæfar, for inftance, return'd five times in Triumph after fignal Victories and Conquefts, what did the Roman People do? To say that they only flock'd to fee the Pomp and Pageantry of the Triumph is a great Mistake: Leave but Cæfar out of the triumphant Chariot, and far the greatest part of the Sight would have been loft. And if fuch Actions, which fcatter fo many Mischiefs, and caufe fo much Defolation around them, will occafion fuch a Refort of People, what a Concourse may not be expected, to behold one, who had been faving the Lives of Mankind, and refcuing them from those Dif cafes and Calamities, which made Life

: Bp. Clavering's Vifit. Charge, in 1730.

an

an infupportable Burden to them? This
was the Cafe of our bleffed Master, the
Prince of Peace, and the Reliever of
his Brethren. He returned home, after
he had dispensed abroad his manifold
Bleffings, in curing all manner of Infir-
The
mities, whitherfoever he went.
Fame of these beneficial Miracles fpread
itself far and near; and therefore no
wonder if People came, in great Crouds,
to see him, who had done fuch wonder-
ful things for the Children of Men.

to come

But leaft of all is it to be wonder'd, Why fuch that any Person in this Paralytick Cafe, Impatience or any Friends of his, that were folli- at Chrift. citous for his Cure, fhould be fo eager and impatient to gain Admittance to his Prefence. They perceiv'd, that oftentimes it was no eafy Matter for him to difengage himself from the importunate Attendance of the People: They remember'd, that, the last time he was among them, the Croud continu'd about the Door till Night, and that, early next Morning, da great while before it was Day, he left the City, and departed into a folitary Place: They faw that ⚫the Day was declining, and f the Sun very nigh fett; nor could they tell, but, that, as foon as he had done Preaching, and

Y 4

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and the Croud a little dispersed, he would retreat and retire, as he had done before; and therefore they thought it highly concern'd them, to make all the hafte they could, and not run the Hazard of lofing fo precious an Opportunity. Away therefore they carry the impotent Man: but when & they came to the Court-Yard (for fo we may render τὰ πρὸς τὴν θύραν) they found the pres fo great, fuch a Multitude of People got together, in order to hear him preach, that, with all their Endeavours, they could not come nigh him: Whereupon, as h the Evangelift tells us, they uncovered the Roof, where he was, and when they had broken it up, they let down the Bed (through the Tiling, fays i St. Luke) wherein the Sick of the Palfy lay. But, to have a right Notion of this Matter, we must observe, that the Manner of building among the Jews, was, in many refpects, different to what has been obtained among us.

The way Their Houses were for the moft part, of build- * very low, confifting but of two Floors ing Houfesamong or Stories, and the Roofs of them were, the Jews. not ridg'd, but flat, furrounded with

a

Dr. Pearce's Vind. Part 4. p. 26. h Mark ii. 4. Chap. v. 19. * Modern Travellers affure us, that the Houfes in fudea are, at this Day, lowbuilt, and flat-roofed. See Sandy's, p. 36. ".

k

a Battlement about Breaft-high, according to God's own Injunction. Here it was that they ufed to walk in the cool of the Day, m under a Tent, or other Cover, to ferve them for a Shade; here to talk and difcourfe together in private; here to pray, and meditate on religious Matters, P in little Clofets built for that Purpose; and ( as our Saviour's Words feem to imply) here fometimes to preach or difcourfe publickly to the People.

without

Doors.

Now there were two Ways, which Their the Jews had, of going up to the Tops Stairs of their Houses; the one was by a Pair of Stairs within the House, leading up to a Trap-Door which lay even with the Roof; and, though faftened within for fecurity against Thieves, might, on any Occafion, be lifted up. The other Way was on the out-fide of the House, where, by a 'Ladder, or Pair of Steps or Stairs,

either

К

Deut. xxii. 8. 1 2 Sam. xi. 12.

xvi. 22.

25. Acts x. 9.
9 Matth. x. 27.

m

2 Sam.

P Lewis's

• Authors

1 Sam. ix. Antiq. vol. 4. p. 75. never differ about the reality and common Ufe of thefc exterior Steps, but only about the Form or Make of them. F. Lamy takes thefe Kaiuanes to be fuch, as are now generally used by Workmen; but I muft beg Leave to differ from that Learned Author, because it seems more reasonable to fuppofe them fuch, as were more fafe and fubftantial, from the frequent ufe of Men, Women, and Chil

dren,

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