The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-10-13

acts no suggestion of magic or necromancy.
He spoke to the disease as one having au
thority.
The cure was immediate. "The $50
called demoniac," says Farrar, "fell to the
ground in fearful paroxyism, screaming
and convulsed. But it was soon over
The man arose cured his whole look and
bearing showed that he was dispossessed
of the over-mastering influence and was
now in his right mind"
1t was natural for the people to say,
Win authority lie commandefh e0en tie
nnciean s1biyits, and they obey him. While
their pathology was at fault, they were
right in acknowledging the amazing cure
which they had seen wrought before their
own eyes.
And the news of this marvel Travelled,
on the wings of the wind, to all parts of
Galilee, and increased the acclaim with
which Jesus was soon afterwards received.
2. Jesus Raising One from Fe-
yer in Peters Family,-vs. 1891.
"From the synagogue" says Edersheim,
1--WE follow the Saviour in company with
his disciples to Peters welded home. But
no festive meal, as was Jewish wont,
awaited them there. A sudden access of
violent burning fever, such as is even now
common in that district, had laid Peters
mother-n-law PROSTATE. If we still had
any lingering thought of Jewish magical
cures as connected with those of Jesus
what is now related must dispel it. The
Talnud gives this disease precisely the
same name, burning fever and prescribcs
for it magical rcmedy,-of which the
principal part is to tie a knife wholly Of
iron by braid of hair to thornbush, and
to repeat on successive days Exod. ga, 3,
then v. a, and finally v. s, after which the
bush is to be cut down while certain
magical formula is pronounced. How diff
ferent from this is the Evangelic narrative
of the cure of Peters mothcr-in-,av. Jesus
is told of the sickness he is besought for
her who is stricken down. In his presence
disease and misery cannot contiluc. Bend
ing over the sufferer he 'rebuked' he =
yer just as he had 'rcbukcd' the demon in
the synagogue. Then lifting her by the
hand, she rose up, healed, to minister ua-
to them" Her ministry consisted in such
household attentions as added to the com.
fort of the guests"
From this narrative we infcr,-Ist Peter
was a married man and householder.
end. The probability that Jesus made tie
home of Peter his abiding place during his
various sojourns in Capernaun. Sd. Jesus
classed fevers and demons together, as
diseases, and cured both by essentially the
same method.
3. Jesus the Bountiful Healer,
VS.. 1884.
There followed a period of enforced
quiet during the heated Sabbath. At the
setting of the Sun the Sabbath had past
One impulse now possessed all the people
in Capernaum. There was sickness il
many homes; crippled unfortunates were
many so.called demoniacs. Jesus was still
in Peters house. There can be no more
than pardonable rhetorical exaggeration il
Marks record, anne city zOas gathered
hogstAey at tie deer.
And Jesus dispensed sudden cures witt
a ready will. Especially he cast cut many
devilS,-that is, he restored disordered il
tellects to sanity. In the exercise of his
accustomed sagacity, he charged the re-
stored mad men not to become his public
advocates. He knew that their testimony,
however sincere and even truthful, would
be by many received as that of those
whose insanity had only taken upon itself
another phase or form.
SO passed a busy day in the ministry
of Christ, a day which fairly samples many
other days which he passed, as Teacher
and Healer, in curing the mental errors
and bodily ailings of afflicted humanity.
Matthew, as characterizing the spirit of
his work this day, quotes the expressive
words of Isaiah: Himself took our tn
frmitteS, and bear our SickneSSes.