Mark 5:15. And they come to Jesus We have here a striking proof that
not all who perceive the hand of God profit as they ought to do by
yielding themselves to him in sincere godliness. Having seen the
miracle, the Gadarenes were afraid, because the majesty of God shone
brightly in Christ. So far they did right but now that they send him
out of their territories, what could have been done worse than this?
They too were scattered, and here is a shepherd to collect them or
rather, it is God who stretches out his arms, through his Son, to
embrace and carry to heaven those who were overwhelmed by the darkness
of death. They choose rather to be deprived of the salvation which is
offered to them, than to endure any longer the presence of Christ.

The apparent ground of their offense is the loss of the swine, but Luke
assigns a loftier cause, that they were seized with a great fear; [556]
and certainly, if they had been exasperated by the loss which they
sustained, they would not have requested him, but would rudely have
driven him out. They honor him as God's minister, and yet are so struck
with dread as to desire that he will go to a distance from them. Thus
we see that they were not at all moved by a sense of the divine grace.
And indeed, though all wicked men adore God, and bestow great pains on
appeasing him, yet if they had their choice, they would withdraw to the
greatest possible distance from him: for his face is terrible, so long
as they contemplate him as a Judge, and not as a Father. The
consequence is, that the gospel, which is more delightful than any
thing that can be conceived, is everywhere considered to be so dismal
and severe, that a good part of the world would wish that it were
buried.

And yet it is true that their fear was partly occasioned by their loss.
Thus at the present day, so long as men believe that the kingdom of God
is opposed to their interest, either of a public or private nature,
they are prepossessed by a depraved and carnal fear, and have no relish
for his grace. Accordingly, when he comes, they think that God does not
regard them with favor, but rather with anger, and, so far as lies in
their power, they send him to another place. It is a mark of shameful
insensibility in those men, that the loss of their swine gives them
more alarm than the salvation of their soul would give them joy.

Luke 8:38. And the men requested The Gadarenes cannot endure to have
Christ among them but he who has been delivered from the devil is
desirous to leave his own country and follow him. Hence we learn how
wide is the difference between the knowledge of the goodness, and the
knowledge of the power, of God. Power strikes men with terror, makes
them fly from the presence of God, and drives them to a distance from
him: but goodness draws them gently, and makes them feel that nothing
is more desirable than to be united to God. Why Christ refuses to have
this man as one of his followers we cannot determine with certainty, if
it was not that he expected the man to make himself more extensively
useful by communicating to his Gentile countrymen the remarkable and
extraordinary act of kindness which he had received; and this he
actually did, as we are assured by Mark and Luke.

39. Relate those things which God hath done for thee. He bids him
relate not his own work, but the work of God His design in doing so is,
that he may be acknowledged to be the true minister and prophet of God,
and may thus acquire authority in teaching. In this gradual manner it
was proper to instruct an ignorant people who were not yet acquainted
with his divinity. Though Christ is the ladder by which we ascend to
God the Father, yet, as he was not yet fully manifested, he begins with
the Father, till a fitter opportunity occurred.

We must now add the symbolical meaning. [557] In the person of one man
Christ has exhibited to us "proof of his grace" which is extended to
all mankind. Though we are not tortured by the devil, yet he holds us
as his slaves, [558] till the Son of God delivers us from his tyranny.
[559] Naked, torn, and disfigured, we wander about, [560] till he
restores us to soundness of mind. It remains that, in magnifying his
grace, we testify our gratitude.
__________________________________________________________________

[542] "Et quarid il fur passd outre, ou a l'autre rive, cornme au
verset 18;" -- "and when he had passed beyond, or to the other bank, as
at v.18."

[543] "Lequel faisoit sa demeurance;" -- "who made his dwelling."

[544] "Il se jetta devant luy;" -- "he threw himself down before him."

[545] "Ainsi les gens sortirent pour voir;" -- "so the peoplo went out
to see."

[546] "Raconte combien grandes choses Dieu t'a faitcs;" -- "relate how
great things God hath done to thee."

[547] "Combien qu'il ne lust pas rant eognu que le premier;" -- "though
he was not so well known as the former."

[548] "Mais l'effort et la violence que les Evangelistes deserlvent
estoit bien autre et plus grande;" -- "but the effort and the violence,
which the Evangelists describe, was quite different and much greater."

[549] "S'enclina devant luy;" -- "kneeled down before him."

[550] "Et ils ne se sont point plainds que Christ les tormentast, sinon
quand il les pressoit de sortir;" -- "and they did not complain that
Christ tormented them, till he urged them to go out."

[551] "Que tout le regne de Satan est tenu en bride sous la domination
de Christ;" -- "that all the kingdom of Satan is kept in check under
the government of Christ."

[552] "Sans que Christ ouvrist sa bouche;" -- "without Christ opening
his mouth."

[553] "Ils voudroyent bien tousjours prolonger leur terme;" -- "they
would always choose to prolong their time.

[554] "A scavoir que chacun hornroe ha son diable et son mauvals ange
qui lui fait la guerre;" -- "namely, that each man has his devil and
his evil angel who makes war with him."

[555] "Ce qu'aucuns exposent comme si les diables n'eussent point voulu
aller en lieu desert;" -- "which some explain as if the devils did not
wish to go into a desert place."

[556] " 'Ephobethesan, they were afraid, (Mark 5:15,) is by most
Commentators understood of fear lest they might suffer a yet greater
calamity; but it rather denotes awe at the stupendous miracle." --
Bloomfield

[557] Nunc addenda est anagoge. -- "Maintenant il rested adjouster la
deduction ou derivation;" -- "it now remains to add the inference or
remoter instruction." -- The word anagoge, or rather anagoge was
technically employed by divines of the allegorizing school to denote
the mystical meaning, which was the last and most recondite, as the
literal was the first and most obvious, of the various meanings which
they supposed to be contained in every verse of the Bible. Never did
those men encounter a more zealous or more formidable opponent than
Calvin. But, while he manfully sets his face against all that is
mystical, when it can plead no higher authority than the ravings of a
wild imagination, he is equally careful that those instructions which
are indicated, though not directly conveyed, by the sacred writers,
shall receive due consideration. He lays down as a general principle,
which he endeavors to support by the word of God, that the cures of
bodily diseases, performed by our Lord and his apostles, were intended
to be symbolical of the removal of spiritual diseases by the power and
grace of the Great Physician. Seldom does he close his illustration of
one of those miracles without adverting to the loftier and more
important occasions on which the arm of the Deliverer will put forth
its strength. It is to this symbolical meaning that Calvin, under the
word anagoge, borrowing the language, but disavowing the principles, of
an ancient school, now proceeds to draw the attention of his reader.
The grounds of his opinion it were foreign to our purpose to examine,
but we have judged it necessary to append this note, in order to bring
out clearly what the Author means. -- Ed.

[558] "Toutesfois nous luy sommes serfs et esclaves;" -- "yet we are
his serfs and slaves."

[559] "De la tyrannic malheureuse d'iceluy;" -- "from his unhappy
tyranny."

[560] "Nous ne raisons que trainer ca et la estans nuds, deschirez, et
dis- figurez;" -- "we do but drag along here and there, being naked,
torn, and disfigured."